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instrument suppliers, outdoor activity outlets,
sportswear stores, speciality stores and telephone
service stores should be included.
It is important to match the size of all of these
stores with the anticipated trading density that the
optimal catchment area of the centre shall offer.
Tenant profiles of successful shopping centres
Trendsetting retailers: those chains which
constantly deliver both a leading product offering
and store design which is modern, inviting and
customer-appropriate.
A high number of speciality stores: Although
landlords rely on national and provincial chains
to accrue sustainable rental income, high-quality
speciality stores create variety and cause shoppers
to return to a centre on several occasions. Two
critical requirements of variety specialist stores
are that (i) they be sellers of exceptionally high
quality merchandise and (ii) implement a carefully
strategised marketing campaign so as to ensure that
their target clientele are adequately aware of their
product offering.
Sustainable restaurant mix: a carefully-structured
and properly segmented research survey should be
conducted amongst each shopping centre’s target
market in order to establish eatery preferences that
will sustain continued patronage.
Quality informal retailers: informal traders (such
as craft marketers) often contribute towards both a
mood-enhancing environment and the integration
of a shopping centre into the local community (and
vice versa). However, these informal traders need to
be of an exceptional standard and present an image
which is designed to enhance a shopping centre
rather than create the appearance of a down-market
trading environment. It is a real concern all over the
world that flea markets are prone to become areas in
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Commercial Handbook 2013
which stolen, illicit, poor quality knock-offs and fake
goods are made available to shoppers. Drugs and
other illegal substances are also likely to be sold from
mismanaged micro-trading environments.
Dedicated busking areas: busking can be a moodenhancer which can lead to visitors becoming
sufficiently comfortable so as to be transformed into
shoppers and repeat-shoppers. However, buskers need
to complement the typical shopper profile of the subject
centre and not be intrusive. For this reason, buskers
should be allocated locations which do not intrude on
visitors’ pathways or movement. The management of
a prominent shopping centre in Gauteng places loud,
intrusive buskers at its main entrance and this has a
decidedly negative affect on patrons entering the centre.
(3)Creating an attractive shopper-tainment
environment
A third and vital compo nent towards creating a
shopping environment which will attract retain
shoppers on a sustainable basis is to establish a centre
which becomes a home-away-from-home for patrons.
There are three elements to this process: creating an
ambience which makes shoppers feel special; holding
frequent and upmarket events to which visitors feel
invited, and ensuring that your tenants work together
to provide service excellence.
Creating a special ambience
Creating a special, inviting ambience means
introducing special water features and artwork which
counters the clinical appearance of your shopping
centre: a number of shoppers visit a mall in order to
remove themselves from a mundane home environment
and the inclusion of attractive features which promotes
a picturesque environment is a way of enticing shoppers
to visit often and stay longer.
There are a number of environment-enhancing
factors that are critical to establishing sustained success.
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