Hampton Towne Centre’s “Letters to Santa” campaign brightened spirits, while “Power Play” gave children the opportunity to come to the center and play with some of the season’s hottest toys. Posters advertised the toys’ locations and prices, and merchants displayed counter cards with gift suggestions. Sales were up 11%, and Santa photo sales increased by 33%.

Ogden City Mall’s holiday shopping getaway package got visitors in the mood to spend, nearly doubing some merchants’ sales.

Century City sought to boost its holiday gift certificate sales by distributing an offer of two free movie passes to those who purchased more than $150 in gift certificates. Certificates were also advertised on-screen in the cinema, reaching 200,000 potential customers. Gift certificate sales were increased 30% over the prior year.

Seeking to tap into the office worker market, White Plains Galleria’s “Especially for You” campaign saw costumed Santa helpers hand-deliver promotional gold packages to 10,000 business employees. The campaign was highly successful, with 16.8 percent of giftees responding.

Shoppers at White Flint were encouraged to hold onto their receipts and hope for snow. One of the center’s retailers issued a “Snowfall Challenge”—if there was one inch or more of snow on Christmas Day, shoppers who bought jewelry between November 15 and December 15 would be refunded the purchase price.

Gateway Mall sponsors Games and sees more than 20,000 residents and visitors shop ’til they drop on Athlete’s Night.

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.

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.