We recently conducted a consumer survey of 594 respondents on their feelings towards malls and shopping centers - how often they shopped at them during the pandemic, their view of the shopping experience at malls pre- and post-pandemic, among other topics.
The vast majority of people still enjoy shopping in-person at malls, stores, and shopping centers for all of the reasons you would expect and have no intention of abandoning these shopping places anytime soon.
But there is a clear gap that existed pre-Covid and this has only widened post-pandemic. This is the gap between the experience consumers want and what is currently being offered.
Shoppers had more convenience and a greater variety of products on demand during Covid - and this might be fueling an accelerated expectation for malls, stores and shopping centers to up their game for highly valued services such as same day delivery, centralized pick up for multi-retailer purchases, and perks like personalized discount and rewards.
If we listen to shoppers, the path forward for shopping places is clear. When shopping “in-person," consumers would appreciate more digital tools that make shopping more convenient and enjoyable - like a mobile app. And that's not all - nearly 90% of respondents would also like to have the convenience to shop their favorite shopping center or mall online.
For more insight, see the full survey results here.