12B — November 28 - December 11, 2014 — Shopping Centers — M id A tlantic
Real Estate Journal
www.marejournal.com
S hopping C enters
By Ahsin Rasheed, DDG Creating high sales through the “intersection of opposites”
R
etail centers typically gauge success by a sin- gle measure: sales per
key’s Mall of Istanbul, Indone- sia’s Grand Metropolitan, and Utah’s Station Park couldn’t be more different from each other in terms of design, retail composition, and location, yet each achieves sales per square foot that are nearly double the industry standard. The element these centers share is what I call the “in- tersection of opposites.” This design approach abandons standard, cookie-cutter for- mats, while simultaneously retaining the comfort of a branded shopping experience. When you combine these two
the greater the likelihood con- sumers will spend more money and return in the future to do
new and different. That’s not always easy when you consider names like The Gap or Victo- ria’s Secret are found in more than 150 countries. While these are highly sought-after brands, they must offer some- thing that moves people to seek them out and shop in-person rather than online. That brings us to a second question: What makes people happy? While the answer varies, people generally are social creatures who want to experience the community around them in a comfortable atmosphere. Starbucks effec- tively uses this approach to create social settings which are often community anchors, with food, drink, and a welcoming atmosphere. To make that welcoming en- vironment work for an entire shopping center, it must be grounded in community com- fort. Because that varies from community to community, it is essential that retail center design reflect the demograph- ics and geography of the region in which it is located. In other words, it must incorporate what “comfort” means to that particular community. Let me offer an example. When my company designed a mall in Bogota, Colombia, we repeatedly heard that local residents liked to relax in the countryside, but that wasn’t al- ways possible because the area was plagued by crime. With that in mind, we conceived of a shopping center featur- ing secure outdoor gardens, extensive parklands, play- grounds, and trails. Visitors were encouraged to explore the natural surroundings both indoors and outside without feeling the pressure to shop. With this unique experience of landscaped areas, patrons were inclined to spend lon- ger amounts of time on the property and, in the process, spend more time and money shopping. This represents the critical moment when the desire for excitement intersects the long- ing for something comfortable to create inspired design. Suc- cessfully creating this intersec- tion of opposites produces a shopping center that exceeds the expectations of everyone involved, from the owners to the consumers who shop there. Ahsin Rasheed is chair- man, CEO, and president of DDG. n
seemingly opposite trends, you create a design that is both unique and familiar, exciting
s/f of leasable s p a c e . Do above $400 - $600 p/s/f and you’re a success. Fall below it and changes will be made. Given that
“Combining new, exciting trends and visual beauty with a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere not only attracts customers, but keeps them for longer periods of time.”
yet soothing. Combining new, exciting trends and visual beauty with a welcoming, comfortable at- mosphere not only attracts customers, but keeps them for longer periods of time. And the longer the holding time,
it again, producing the kinds of sales that shatter industry standards. An “intersection of oppo- sites” design begins with a basic question: What excites people? Generally, consumers are attracted by something
Ahsin Rasheed
rigid criteria, what enables a handful of retail environments to produce sales figures that are significantly higher? Retail destinations as diverse as Tur-
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