Lenox Square—one of the largest centers in the U.S.—was undergoing construction and wanted to let shoppers know it was still open for business, with its regular caliber and selection of stores. “A Stroll Through Lenox Square” was created to showcase the center’s 200+ stores to the city’s hosts, the Atlanta Concierge Society members, so they could see everything the mall can offer their guests.

North Point Mall lifts its mid-week sales with a direct-mail insert campaign in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

To regain its market share and offset economic turbulence, North County Fair launched a motivation program to reward store managers. Up to $10,000 in cash was to be split among managers whose stores saw sales inreases of 20% over the previous year. Over 80% of the merchants participated in the program, which resulted in a 67% increase in fourth-quarter sales; the prize was split among 20 merchants.

Peterborough Square created a “Square Deal Student Discount Card” to develop loyalty among the cash-strapped students that frequent the center. Students were hired to help with two registration sessions during local schools’ Intro Weeks; those that signed up received coupons, gift certificates, center directories, and a free gift. 4,000 students registered, and merchants reported constant use of the discount cards throughout the school year.

Looking to set itself apart from the competition, the Galleria of Dallas, Texas, minted “Galleria Gold”—coins in $10, $20, and $50 denominations that function like traditional mall gift certificates. A $17,000 campaign to spread the word led to a 61% increase in Galleria Gold sales, and a 57% increase in the average transaction.

Burlington Square’s reputation as a festive downtown marketplace was waning, just as the local newspaper ran a story on the large amount of Vermonters leaving for warmer climates through February and March. The mall staged a “Spring is in the Bag” promotion, offering the first 500 shoppers to present receipts of $100+ a beach bag filled with goodies, and giving 3,000 customers the chance to win a vacation for two to Aruba. Merchants’ sales increased 10% to 373% on the day of the vacation draw, and mall sales were up 4% in February and 8% in March.

To drive mall gift certificate sales, Huntington Beach Mall offered a free $10 gift certificate to any shopper who purchased four $25 gift certificates (to a limit of $50 in free certificates). It worked: gift certificate sales for December totaled just under $40,000 – a 310 percent increase over 1992.

During its back-to-school season, Biggs Park Mall hosted a “Grubbiest Sneaker Contest”. Young shoppers could deposit their shoes into a container in the mall to be judged. The grand-prize winner was awarded new shoes, and runners-up received mall gift certificates.

To draw shoppers to its summer sidewalk sale, Southgate Shopping Centre gave them the opportunity to crack a safe and win valuable prizes. 1,658 of 60,000 “Crack the Safe” scratch-and-wins were returned, and month-end sales increased by 8%.

Inland Center Mall rewards its “In Crowd” members with discounts, freebies, birthday gifts, and special purchases-at-cost. Shoppers who sign up a friend receive a potpourri as a gift. After a little over a year, the program had 8,800 members.