Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/739734
N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 / S C T 7 cause 83 percent of these click-and-collect shoppers go on to buy additional merchandise when picking up the goods they ordered online, the report found. "Consumer intentions s h o w t h a t t h i s d i g i t a l - physical convergence will be critical for the health of the industry as we close out the year," McGee said. Shoppers gave a vari- ety of reasons for going to stores during the holiday season. Roughly half said they want the ability to see, touch and try on merchan- dise; another half said they want the item immedi- ately, while 42 percent said they do so to avoid paying for shipping, 35 percent cited the ease of returning or exchanging merchan- dise in-person, and 31 percent said they like the convenience of one-stop shopping at centers. So what's at the top of shoppers' lists this year? Gift cards and certificates seem most popular (64 per- cent), followed by apparel and footwear (51 percent); toys and games, excluding apps and video games, (46 percent); men's/women's accessories, cosmetics and fragrances (39 percent); electronics (38 percent). The report says health and personal-care stores will see sales rise by 8.1 percent this year over last. Miscellaneous retailers will get a 3.6 percent increase in sales. Building-materi- als, garden-equipment and supply-store sales will go up by 1.8 percent, meanwhile, and electronics- and appli- ance-store sales will rise by 1.4 percent. Stores and merchan- dise are not the only draw for consumers heading to shopping centers, however. According to the survey, 80 percent of Americans will be doing something other than shopping while there. Fifty-three percent of those visiting shopping centers will be stopping to grab a meal, and 36 per- cent will see a movie. Half of those bringing kids under the age of 13 said they intend to have a picture taken with Santa this year. T h e s t u d y w a s c o n - d u c t e d o n l i n e i n l a t e September b y O p i n i o n Research Corp., based on interviews with 2,037 con- sumers. S C T Mall of America, the largest shopping cen- ter in North America, announced that it will ter in North America, announced that it will remain closed on Thanksgiving Day this year. Management said it made the decision "in an effort to give the holiday back to the "in an effort to give the holiday back to the 15,000 employees who dedicate their time to millions of guests each year." In a letter sent to Mall of America em- ployees and tenants, Executive Vice Presi- dent Rich Hoge and Senior Vice President of Marketing Jill Renslow stated: "In years past we've all rallied together to answer the call for 24/7 shopper access that the Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend brings. However, it also meant that team members may not have been able to share the day with family and friends. "That is why this year we have made the decision to close on Thanksgiving Day so that team members can put that energy where it matters most, into making memo- ries with the people they care about most." Some Mall of America tenants, restau- rants and attractions may choose to be open on Thanksgiving Day. For those that do open, Mall of America will have security and other key personnel on duty on Thanksgiving Day to ensure smooth operations. A N A M A Z O N P O P - U P S H O P S O M E 6 4 P E R C E N T O F R E S P O N D E N T S S A I D T H E Y W I L L G I V E A G I F T C A R D O R G I F T C E R T I F I C A T E T H I S H O L I D A Y S E A S O N