This article by David Henderson and Corrine Barchanowicz of Vicinity Centres forms part of our ‘Activating Retail Precincts’ feature published in the latest edition of Shopping Centre News. 

Creating unique experiences is what sets physical retail apart – giving people even more reasons to come, explore and, most importantly, connect. When we create great experiences in our centres, we know they benefit both customers and retailers, giving our customers more reasons to visit and discover new things, while our retail partners enjoy the opportunity to connect with new customers and grow their business.

How we create great experiences for customers is always evolving and the pandemic accelerated many trends that were already taking place in retail and has given us cause to stop and consider – what does the future of retail look like? And how can we continue to create unique and meaningful experiences?

Reflecting on the past couple of years, we know that physical retail plays an important role, and communities value their local shopping centres more than ever.

Whether it’s in social connections, new retailer discovery or engaging in unique and entertaining in-centre activations, physical retail can deliver experiences like no other, giving customers more reasons to visit.

For as long as retail has existed, it’s created destinations where commerce meets culture to create community, and that remains the same today.

To maintain that sense of community, we spend a lot of time understanding our customers and what they are looking for when they visit. We also look at the trends of what people need and want today and into the future. Through our in-depth research, we’ve discovered fascinating insights. We know that today, communities are longing for a sense of belonging, so much so that 33% of Australians named a strong sense of community as the top attribute that makes somewhere a good place to live.

We also know retail has an interesting psychological role to play in wellness with 62% of Australians expressing they preferred in-store retail therapy as opposed to shopping online. And demonstrating commitment to sustainability is also important with 81% of Australians thinking it adds value.

It’s with this knowledge of our customers that we curate activations within our centres that mean something for the community they serve and provide them with the overarching sense of belonging that sets our retail destinations apart.

One key theme highlighted by research is in the cultivation of community and acknowledging Australians’ shift to support local. We’ve seen customers have really bought into hyper-local living, with 44% of global consumers saying they felt closer to their communities post-pandemic, and we’ve responded with a number of really creative shop local activations that encourage customers to connect with local retailers.

Monopoly Shop, Scan, Win
One of my favourites is our Monopoly Shop, Scan, Win campaign, which first launched in 2022 and was activated at 50 centres nationwide using in-centre assets, including a Monopoly jail, gameplay floor tiles and visits from Mr Monopoly himself.

And who doesn’t love Monopoly?!

Monopoly Shop, Scan, Win activation, Grand Plaza

The campaign proved successful, helping retailers grow their sales with almost 300,000 registered qualifying transactions. The anecdotal response from retailers and customers was also really encouraging, so much so, the campaign returns in 2023 to continue to facilitate customers’ sense of belonging at our centres.

Our research also helped inform local marketing strategies too, with unique activations launched across the country.

Building on the concept of wellness and retail therapy, we learned customers increasingly value engaging in and exploring shopping centres as a great way to relax. While at retail centres, walking around (43%), food and drink activities (40%), enjoying in-centre experiences (27%) and socialising with peers (25%) were among the other top factors of customers’ in-centre experiences.

Retail Therapies activation
Guided by research, we recently launched a new and innovative ‘Retail Therapies’ activation across our Sydney CBD assets – QVB, The Strand Arcade and The Galeries.

Sound Therapy, The Strand Arcade

I’ve never seen anything as engaging as these activations and their ability to make people stop and pay attention. In amongst the hustle and bustle of Sydney’s CBD, the activations allow visitors to experience three unique and multi-sensory wellness therapies on offer – Fractal Therapy, Chromotherapy and Sound Therapy – all created in partnership with sensory experts and designed to help bring a sense of Zen to shoppers.

Customers can gaze upon soothing geometric light shows, immerse themselves in colour therapy installations and experience the relaxing and energising benefits of sound therapy – transforming their in-store shopping visit into a holistic wellness experience.

While the campaign is still running, the results so far have been encouraging and give customers yet another reason to visit our three Sydney CBD destinations.

Fractal Therapy, QVB

While our strategically curated local activations demonstrate a real knowledge and understanding of what’s important to our customers, to continue to deliver leading experiences, we need to acknowledge the changing needs and tastes of our customers is broader than just retail. After a couple of years of disruption and reflection, purpose appears to be more important to our customers than ever.

During our research, we discovered 69% of Gen-Z customers say they would pay more for a brand that supports an issue they care about, while 81% of Australians think demonstrating commitment to sustainability adds value.

Sydney WorldPride
In creating inclusive destinations, we have delivered some really innovative activations to raise awareness of important moments, with one of the most memorable being our support of Sydney WorldPride earlier in 2023.

We wanted to create mainstream news and raise awareness of some of the inspiring Pride leaders that have pushed the LGBTQI+ cause over the years, and what better way to do that than to have them take over QVB with their names appearing across its website, socials and physical spaces.

We activated the campaign by transforming the iconic dome area with a hanging art installation featuring large-scale portraits, paying homage to our real queens for the Pride season.

Featured queens included entertainer, trans icon and cabaret star Carlotta, queer activist Ken Davis who convened the Gay Solidarity Group, which initiated the first ever Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978, Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and ally Janine Middleton AM, who together Co-Chaired Australian Equality and successfully fought for marriage equality in Australia and Indigenous drag queen and performer Felicia Foxx who passionately advocates for visibility and empowerment for young Indigenous queer people.

The activation created a major buzz at QVB and an opportunity for people to hear from our Pride leaders and start a conversation.

The objective of this activation wasn’t necessarily to increase sales but to create a stronger sense of inclusion and belonging in the heart of Sydney.

So, whether it’s to drive an increase in centre visitation, help retailers grow sales or to demonstrate inclusion and support of our community, research-led activations are at the heart of what we do.

Our activations make our centres unique and inviting places for our customers to enjoy, connect with friends and continue to be that place where commerce meets culture to create community like they always have done.

We’ll continue to deliver destinations and activations that create belonging and deliver meaningful experiences, knowing it makes a difference to retailers and customers today and in the future.