In Search of Balance and Community

Québec mall offers cancer patients a dedicated wellness session.

Inner peace and wellness aren't the first things that come to mind when thinking of a mall, but Cominar's Centre Commercial Rivière-du-Loup runs a program that could make the association more natural. Every week, the Canadian center hosts RD[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

Kids Take Up the Green Cause

Community Room, Sustainability

South African mall puts the fun in recycling.

If Recyclaville sounds to you like a fanciful creation, you're partially right. It doesn't exist—yet. It's what a primary school student imagined for her ideal future, and it was just the kind of creativity that a South African shopping center[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

Okay. Enough Said

Design Studio

Aritzia makes a bold statement with its line of minimalist totes.

There's no detaining a worker on a Friday evening when she walks out the door with a large tote bag that literally says, "Out of Office." Aritzia calls it the South Beach Carryall, part of the Canadian retailer's in-house Auxiliary brand of hand[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

ICONSIAM’s Big Draw

Charity Partnerships, Community Room

This brand story might stick in shoppers’ mind well past the thrill of the retail find.

There's a little current of excitement that comes from uncovering unique artisanal products at an affordable price. Shoppers will find plenty of them at Art Story by Autistic Thai, the small installation of artworks for sale that the Autistic Th[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

Foodies Flock to the Urban Pantry

Food & Beverage, Sales Promotions & More

When properly planned, an experiential marketing event can generate a return in retail sales.

It's tough to walk past a white event canopy without becoming a little curious about what's going on underneath. Add food and drink samples, and that FOMO feeling fully kicks in. Before you know it, line-ups form, the pace of passersby slows dow[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

Fickle Spring? There Are Retail Igloos for That

Amenities, Customer Service

The heated and rainproof market shelters can be booked in two-hour slots.

Too hot, too cold, too rainy, too sunny—it's tough for Mother Nature to get the weather right and that can turn steady retail traffic into a mere trickle. Manifesto Market has a solution for that. The central Prague food and culture market int[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

Diversity on Display at The Square

Community Relations, Community Room

A shopping center’s simple drum circle breaks new ground and a world record.

Diverse and united community or pressure cooker? Fostering the former to avoid the latter takes more than slogans and good intentions. It requires collaboration and some key players to drive initiatives, as a city council and shopping center tea[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

CCD Flips the Switch on Seasonal Fashion

Sales Promotions, Seasonal Giveaways

An experience-with-purchase offer tapped into shoppers’ fashion and beauty obsession.

Franka Lange is the first one to admit it—placemaking has become a bit of a go-to buzzword in retailing. She tackled it during her workshop on Day 1 of the ICSC European Conference, exploring how the marketing concept could give shopping cente[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

What Happens in The Lobby? A Lot

Retailer Roundup

This destination makes the most of retail tech with a “Beyond Shopping” proposition.

ICSC called it a TED Talk on steroids, and its "Mixing It Up! – Game Changers" session provided a few head-turners, including The Lobby, AMF Fastigheter's retail destination in Stockholm, Sweden. Annelie Gullström, a digital strategist and th[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...

Playing for Retail Keeps at DFO

Apps, Technology Lab

This Aussie mall’s game is in AR, but the prizes are real.

There are quite a few shoppers walking around DFO outlet centers in Australia, seemingly pointing their mobile phones at random spots. What they're actually doing is trying to win some gift cards. Six properties are hosting a national competi[...] Tactics Subscribers Read More...