With the advent of the internet and handheld electronics, consumer behaviors have changed. However, even with online shopping and entertainment now in the palm of their hands, 71% of consumers, according to a recent First Insight study, spend more shopping in-store than online.
The challenge for retailers is to get the consumers to spend more time at the mall shopping and enjoying the varied mall experiences. To revitalize the shopping mall experience and drive more shoppers to brick-and-mortar retailers, developers around the world have created unique attractions to add excitement to the consumer experience.
Here’s 10 shopping mall attractions from the US and around the world.
#1 FlyOver America — Mall of America, Minnesota, USA
For those who have always wanted to cross the country to see America’s diverse landscape but haven’t been able to visit all 50 states, Mall of America provides the opportunity to travel more than 10,000 miles without leaving Minnesota.
The FlyOver America attraction at Mall of America is a flight-simulation ride that delivers a fully immersive experience with wind, mist and scents. The thrilling ride features a bird’s eye view of many of the country’s most impressive landmarks and regions.
#2 Swim With the Sharks — The Dubai Mall, Dubai, UAE
The Dubai Mall features one of the largest aquariums in the world. That alone is impressive; however, the excitement doesn’t stop there. Intrepid visitors are invited to dive into the depths of a 10-million-liter tank to come face-to-face with sand tiger sharks. A risky attraction, divers are assisted by a Dive Master and Dive Instructor throughout the experience.
#3 Attend a Fashion Show — Fashion Show, Las Vegas, USA
Fashion Show is a shopping mall in Las Vegas, Nevada that hosts many diverse events including, yes, fashion shows. Models showcasing styles available in the mall periodically strut their stuff down a 24-meter retractable runway. Fashion Show’s fashion shows offer everyone an experience that was once reserved for the elite.
#4 Ride a Gondola — The Villaggio Mall, Doha, Qatar
The Villaggio Mall in Doho, Qatar offers a Venetian-inspired gondola boat ride. The gondola ride features an authentically clad gondolier (boatman) who rows visitors throughout the mall, past all the shops that line the series of man-made canals.
#5 Experience the World’s Largest Indoor Wave Pool — American Dream, New Jersey, USA
Scheduled to open October 25, 2019, the much-anticipated American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, features the DreamWorks Water Park attraction. It boasts the world’s largest indoor wave pool, commanding 1.5 acres and 1.5 million gallons of water.
#6 Ride an Indoor Rollercoaster — Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur
Indoor rollercoasters are a popular attraction at malls. Featured on the fifth through eighth floors of the Berjaya Times Square mall in Kuala Lumpur is the Supersonic Odyssey. This custom looping roller coaster — designed by Intamin Worldwide, a Swiss manufacturing firm best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters around the world — is 800 meters long, 38 meters high, and clocks speeds of 70 KM/hour.
#7 Ice Skate in the Tropics — SM Mall of Asia, Manila, Philippines
The SM Mall of Asia features an Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, an unusual attraction considering the Philippines’ tropical climate and little tradition for winter sports. Filipino Olympian Michael Christian Martinez was first introduced to ice-skating at this rink in 2005.
#8 Party Aboard Columbus’s Santa Maria — West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada
Visitors to the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada, have the opportunity to host an event aboard the carrack ship the Santa Maria. It is an exact replica of the ship captained by Christopher Columbus in 1492 as he sailed from Spain with his fleet of three ships (can you name the other two?) to explore the Americas.
#9 Slide Down a 5-Story Super Slide — Printemps Mall (Pudong), Shanghai, China
The five-story super slide at China’s Printemps Mall (Pudong) in Shanghai is a familiar, yet not usual, piece of playground equipment. A large, winding metal tube, the 54-meter long, 20-meter high slide lets visitors feel like a kid again for the 16 seconds it takes them to ride it. The slide is designed to take shoppers from the fifth floor to the ground floor.
#10 Attend a Concert Hall Performance — Lotte World Mall, Seoul, South Korea
Style meets sophistication at Lotte World Mall in South Korea. Located on the roof of the mall, the Lotte Concert Hall is a full-sized, world-class classical performance venue seating more than 2,000 people. The hall features a grand pipe organ, composed of nearly 5,000 pipes installed across three floors. It is now home to the International Organ Competition of Korea.
Developers are becoming more and more creative with the attractions meant to keep shoppers coming back for more. They understand new consumer behaviors and recognize the need to connect with people on an emotional level, providing them with exhilarating experiences they simply cannot get online or on their smartphone.
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