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| (brrrrr!!! Lake Michigan is cold!) |
I think we can all agree: winter is cold. Really cold. But that doesn't mean the retail industry needs to go cold. So when it’s frigid outside, how does business keep from freezing? Retailers have to get creative to get the buyers away from that crackling warm fireplace, out from under that snug blanket (you know, the one grandma knitted) and into their store. Retailers need to engage with buyers, so buyers will engage with retailers. So how do they do that? As winter continues to give us a sizable dosage of the blues, how do shopping centers and retailers capitalize on providing activities that are meaningful, entertaining, and social?
With the winter months come the holidays. While those have long passed, the initial engagements spark that sensation within customers to continue returning. Light festivals and tree lighting ceremonies, firework shows and live music. Give customers an experience that makes them go, “WOW,” and you’ll see them return that experience with loyalty.
Nobody likes running from building to building, or shop to shop, in freezing weather. Bring people that unique something extra, they’ll let the cold slide and slide on into a retailer’s establishment.
There are plenty of venues big and small that bring attractions during the winter months. Engaging can be as simple as providing hot beverages and snacks. It can be as grand as live music performances.
In Chicago, the Magnificent Mile hosts a Light Festival. They extend shopping hours. Spanning the course of that mile is a magnificent visual display of lights and awe that give shoppers a reason to get out into that cold.
In Chicago, the Magnificent Mile hosts a Light Festival. They extend shopping hours. Spanning the course of that mile is a magnificent visual display of lights and awe that give shoppers a reason to get out into that cold.
In Quebec, LIGHTEMOTION BRINGS GIANT LAMPSHADES TO THE STREETS OF QUEBEC CITY (Stefanie Waldek, Architectural digest).
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| Berlin, Germany |
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| Berlin, Germany |
In Germany, there are little villages set up to hang out in.
Not everywhere is cold (lucky them!). Desert Ridge Marketplace, in Phoenix, Arizona, throws a Snow Fall party nightly for a month.
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| Phoenix, AZ |
Not everywhere is cold (lucky them!). Desert Ridge Marketplace, in Phoenix, Arizona, throws a Snow Fall party nightly for a month.
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| Rosa Parks Circle Rink, Grand Rapids, Michigan |
Everyone is familiar with the Rink at Rockefeller Center. Ice skating is one of the most popular ideas. Up a few hours to our north, Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a city bustling with activity and keeping the public entertained.
Winter markets, like Detroit’s Eastern Market, Grand Rapids' Downtown Market, and other venues that provide the same type of service customers are accustomed to all year long, so they don’t have to drastically change their habits.
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| Festival of Lights |
Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, has food drives, an ice slide, ice skating, holiday films, and light shows.
No matter where you live, no matter the climate, never sing those retail blues. Be whimsical and creative and you'll find warmth even in the coldest of times.
“There’s a multiplier effect, in which the hardy endeavors of a few draw other people to the scene, thus creating the critical mass for a bustling public place(...)This idea of “triangulation” can create a major city center attraction even during the coldest months of the year.”