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Increased competition among different retail formats has led mall managers to focus on mall promotional activities to attract shoppers to malls. The purpose of this paper is to understand Indian mall retailers views on mall events and its role in improving traffic, sales and mall image.

The current study used a qualitative to decipher mall retailers’ views regarding mall events. In total, 36 in-depth interviews of mall retailers across 13 metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities (Tier-I and Tier-II) were conducted to develop a comprehensive understanding of mall events organized by Indian mall managers.

The findings revealed that mall events were categorized under six different types: product launch events, events organized to promote the social cause, commemorate festivals, celebrity nights, events organized by retailers in malls and theme events. There were differences in the nature of events used by malls in bigger and smaller cities across India. The nature of mall events varied according to regional, cultural and lifestyle factors across the country.

Mall managers can use the insights from the study on mall events for segmenting and targeting strategies. The different types of mall events can be used for improving footfall, sales and mall image. The study findings employ a grounded theory approach to understand mall retailers’ views on mall events. Future research can be directed toward understanding mall managers’ and consumers’ opinions about the relevance of mall events in improving footfall and profitability of malls.

Extant research has looked at mall events, their role and efficacy in a consolidated manner. The current study attempts to segregate the events organized by mall management into distinct categories and provide linkages of these categories concerning mall image and traffic.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broader typology and inventory of recreational facilities and activities in shopping malls. The paper then investigates the relation between the proposed entertainment types and shopper behavior both directly and indirectly by considering the mediation of shopper emotional states.

A survey-based study with a sample size of 484 mall shoppers is used to test the proposed model.

The results indicate that permanent entertainment predicts shopper satisfaction directly and indirectly when considering the emotional state of pleasure as a mediator. Moreover, findings indicate that permanent entertainment indirectly influences the desire to stay at the mall through pleasure and arousal. In addition, pleasure mediates the relation of temporary and special event entertainment with satisfaction and the desire to stay at the mall.

This study adds to a better understanding of the role of entertainment types in shopping malls. The study also reveals how each type of entertainment can enhance different emotions and behaviors. Practical suggestions to this end are offered.

There is a lack of studies taking into consideration the different types of entertainment in shopping malls. This study is among the first to examine the effects of each entertainment type on specific behavioral responses. Moreover, the study addresses the mediating role played by shoppers’ emotional states on the impact of entertainment types in satisfaction and desire to stay at the mall.

This paper aims to demonstrate that stress is a relevant feeling to take into account in mall experience and customer satisfaction management. Furthermore, it is proposed that its effects on mall experience and satisfaction differ depending on shopping motivation and frequency.

The method is based on seemingly unrelated regressions models and data were obtained through a survey of 1,088 mall clients. Mall experience is addressed through customer cognitive and affective responses. Both terms together with stress and customer satisfaction with the mall are constructs measured by seven-point Likert scales. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to validate these measures.

The results show that stress reduces customers’ affective response and satisfaction. The effect of low levels of stress on customer affective response is less negative for frequent shoppers, and the influence of high levels on satisfaction is less negative for them. Furthermore, stress has a U-shaped effect on customers’ cognitive response, an effect that is reduced for frequent shoppers.

Mall managers should try to reduce stress in the management of their customers’ experience. Moreover, they should increase the shopping frequency of their clients by implementing marketing strategies, such as frequency programs and serial concerts, and assist shoppers in reorganizing their shopping goals by implementing organizing tools and new recommendations and suggestions.

Given that previous work on shopping stress is scarce, this paper expands the extant literature by analyzing its effects on mall experience and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, it shows that these effects may vary depending on shopping frequency and motivation.

The purpose of this paper is to establish mall attractiveness factors in Kuwait, examine the relationship between mall dimensions and mall patronage and explore the impact of mall size and distance on mall patronage.

Data from 190 shopping mall visitors were analyzed using Stata software. Factor analysis was used to identify the mall attraction factors, and regression models were run to analyze their relationships with people’s frequency of visits to shopping malls and the amount of time spent per visit.

The results unearth five important factors, namely, performance of buying, entertainment, social activities, physical atmosphere and location. Analysis reveals that the performance of buying and social activities factors had a significant impact on the frequency of visits, while the amount of time spent per visit was significantly affected only by the social activities factor. Furthermore, mall size is more important than distance to the mall. Finally, gender differences in shoppers’ mall preferences and behaviors were reported.

On the practical level, shopping mall developers and managers can use the attraction scale to develop attractive malls and effective marketing strategies. Researchers can use findings to confirm the factors extracted in the study and for further research on the topic.

This study extends theories on consumers’ preferences and behaviors. It provides empirical evidence about the impact of attractive mall dimensions on shoppers’ patronage in Kuwait, an understudied context.

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of artistic elements in a shopping mall’s experiential marketing strategy and the effects of artistic elements on customer shopping value (e.g. utilitarian, hedonic and symbolic) and shopper response (e.g. satisfaction, behavioural intention).

Data were collected from 300 shoppers in a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. A partial least square-structural equation model was used to examine the impact of the artistic elements along with other elements in the shopping mall on shopper response through perceived shopping value.

Empirical evidence shows that artistic elements in an artified mall have a positive effect on customer hedonic and symbolic value, which in turn leads to positive shopper response. Artistic elements perform better than other elements in predicting symbolic value.

The findings suggest that artistic elements should be considered a new source of mall differentiation and customer experience enhancement. Unique artistic elements add emotional and symbolic appeal to the mall, and mall managers should carefully choose artistic content that matches the position and target shoppers of their mall.

This paper proposed and empirically examined the effect of artistic elements as the new fourth atmospheric element. It extends the art infusion theory by applying it to the “non-luxury” shopping mall context to demonstrate the spillover effect of art on shopping value, which further influence shopper response.

The paper aims to explore the contributing factors impacting on shopping experiences of customers in Mauritius. It also seeks to investigate the relative significance of these factors in predicting the willingness of customers to visit shopping malls of Mauritius.

The paper applies the data reduction technique using exploratory factor analysis on a sample of 600 respondents drawn from 23 shopping malls and shopping centres across Mauritius and condenses a set of 33 mall attributes into a list of six comprehensible dimensions about shopping experience. The multiple regression analysis was also conducted to investigate the importance of the six shopping experience dimensions in influencing the behavioural intentions of customers to visit shopping malls of Mauritius in future.

The factor analysis identified that customers visualise shopping experience as a combination of six factors: “provision of childcare facilities”, “health and wellness events”, “entertaining events”, “sports and games facilities”, “value‐added restaurant facilities” and “shopping events”. The results of the regression analysis have also suggested that the willingness of customers to visit the shopping malls is primarily derived from one significant factor related to “entertainment facilities and events”.

Shopping mall managers should cater for more entertainment facilities and events. Mall developers should also focus on improving restaurant facilities by maximizing regular renovation of food courts, integrating international coffee shops and fast food outlets in various shopping malls of Mauritius.

The study is still a pioneer work on the factors impacting on shopping experiences in the context of Mauritius which is still a developing nation. Yet, it would serve as a roadmap for mall managers and designers to enhance shopping experience in similar contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze two studies pertaining to the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington DC, to gain a better understanding of risk management perceptions and processes as applied to urban cores that consistently host tourists and special events.

The first study is a qualitative analysis of open‐ended commentary that addresses issues pertaining to safety and security to garner an overarching sense of risk management perceptions that National Mall visitors have when considering these parklands. The second study involves participant observation, quantitative documentation and analysis of specific risk management processes utilized during the 2007 National Independence Day Celebration.

The findings of the first study suggest that personal safety is viewed as paramount and that visitors are not overly worried about the threat of terrorist activity, as illustrated by the strong feelings of displeasure towards access obstructions and barricades. The results of the second study demonstrate how separate areas of event risk management, including security checkpoints, public information provision and law enforcement, merge during times of crisis.

The combined findings of the two studies suggest a level of psychological disconnect in terms of acceptance of safety measures that protect people versus those that protect facilities, even though these measures are often synchronized. The sensibility to risk management aesthetics that emerged is a valuable contribution that merits additional study.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether experiential offerings from two types of retailers play a significant role in consumer responses toward Indian malls. Specifically, this study examined the relationships between consumer perceptions of experience economy 4E constructs (i.e. educational, entertainment, escapist, and esthetic experiences) and experiential value associated with merchandise retailers and service retailers in Indian shopping malls, and between perceived experiential value and mall patronage intention.

A mall intercept survey conducted in two shopping malls in India resulted in 552 useable responses. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.

Experience economy constructs (i.e. entertainment, escapist, and esthetic experiences) contributed to the experiential value associated with merchandise retailers and/or service retailers in the mall. Experiential value associated with both merchandise retailers and service retailers in the mall positively influenced mall patronage intention.

The results have practical implications for mall retailers, mall managers, and mall developers; particular experiential strategies for both merchandise retailers and service retailers may improve patronage intentions toward the mall, which includes a measure of purchase intentions.

Although academic articles support the idea that retailers can obtain benefits by offering experiences to consumers, this is the first study to empirically validate the role of specific consumer experiences, the 4Es, resulting from both merchandise retailers and service retailers, in a non-Western mall context on value creation for shoppers and the consequent influence on patronage intentions.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate that mall shoppers who participate in a mall’s experiential offerings, including entertainment and activities, do not necessarily exhibit more favorable attitudes or behaviors toward the mall than mall shoppers who do not participate in these offerings.

This study employs survey methodology from a sample collected in an expansive regional mall that offers customers experiential activities.

The findings show that mall shoppers who partake in mall-based activities are less satisfied, are less likely to spread positive word of mouth, and have lesser desire to return to the mall than shoppers who do not partake in these activities. The findings also reveal that mall expenditures are the same between shoppers who partake in mall activities and those who do not.

Researchers have argued that malls can compete with digital retailers by offering shoppers experiential activities. Although segments of shoppers partake in these activities, this study finds that experiential investments do not result in significant favorable shopper outcomes.

Mall developers that implement experiential offerings as a means to combat competition from digital retailers may not attain managerially relevant results from doing so.

Although retailing academics and consultants espouse the idea that retailers can obtain financial benefits by creating memorable experiences for shoppers, this research offers empirical evidence that counters these speculations. In the case of enclosed malls, investments in experiential features and activities may not lead to improved shopper attitudes, behaviors, or sales.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the growing, and multifaceted, role for events within destination shopping centres. With particular focus upon The Gruffalo experience (GE)—a three week pop-up experiential children’s activation—the study offers insights and provides a conceptual framework, relating to the emerging and future role of events.

The study emerged from a privileged opportunity to research The GE, enabling a visitor questionnaire survey (n=1,305), using a non-probability sample, and four in-depth interviews, which were extended by an additional seven respondents.

There is a noteworthy role for events as “enlivenment”; attractors to increase visitation, repeat visitation and equally to impact dwell time and boost footfall and sales for tenants. The study revealed a need for a developed event portfolio, with various fundamental tensions relating to objectives, tenants, integration with wider strategy and customer experience.

By interlinking events with shopping, re-visitation intention is improved and therefore not only does it deliver short-term return but longer-term payback. The vast assortment of events, and stakeholders, means a strategic and reflective approach is required. A limitation of the study is that there is limited existing research on this topic upon which to compare the overall findings, or specifically the survey data and analysis.

This early research study into events within destination shopping centres has revealed a prolific and advantageous, but also emerging and intricate, relationship. There is an absence of extant literature and therefore this paper makes a notable contribution to this unfolding area.