26 MARKETING “Getting retailers on board should be fairly straightforward,” says


Coombes. “Certain tenants like jewelers don’t want to know but generally if you make a connection and communicate what you want to do there will be good retailer take-up, especially if it’s an annual thing and the feedback is positive.” Participating retailers at The Mall realised that offering generous discounts led to higher sales, as Douglass recalls: “In 2010 the footfall into some stores appeared to be higher than it was in 2011 but their sales were much lower, showing that while students were browsing the store they were not necessarily buying. The discount made all the difference between looking and purchasing.” After last year’s event, one store performed so well that the


manager got a call from the area manager who mistakenly thought they’d entered their figures incorrectly. “Typically retailers offer 20 per cent off, sometimes 25 per cent,” adds Williams. “For some, often those who don’t offer a standard student discount, it’s 10 per cent but that might include sale and clearance items which aren’t on offer to the public. And they’ll often give out goodie bags and other freebies. Foot Asylum were giving out great stuff, in the end they had to suspend hand-outs to cope with the sales.” Extras incentives are always welcome, as Williams explains: “Individual shops don’t have a budget for local marketing, relying on national campaigns to draw people in but with an event like this they can take advantage of the centre’s marketing budget. We also allow


retailers to go out on the mall, giving them extra exposure and the freedom to entice shoppers in. They respect that we’re able to take the shackles off in that way, even tenants that don’t want to trade on the night can give out leaflets.”


ENTERTAINMENT Entertainment is vital, giving students another reason to turn up beyond the discounts, but there does need to be a balance so activities on the mall don’t deter students from spending in the shops. “We did a series of focus groups with students in Manchester to find out what they wanted from a shopping event,” says Coombes. “What we found is that students, unlike their penniless stereotype, are actually rich and free in many ways. High on their list was free alcohol which is problematic but we found a way to get around it by offering cocktail tasters at Manchester Arndale – there were various stands serving different cocktails but each student was limited to two alcohol units through a card stamping system.” “They also wanted to feel welcome and important, able to play


games and activities they wouldn’t normally have access to and they wanted to see celebrities, particularly pop acts, X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent contestants and Radio 1 DJs.” Maynineteen will set up a stage and put on live bands, meet and


greets and pamper sessions. And retailers are encouraged to put on activities of their own, hiring a DJ, for example – the centre will often pay


SHOPPING CENTRE April 2012 www.shopping-centre.co.uk


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