Programming Is Becoming Essential to Retail Success

Curated and organized programming is becoming an essential element of a successful retail center. While the evolution of retail has been focused on tenant mix and Internet-resistant tenants, programming has become a way to engage the community and drive foot traffic to a retail center. This can come from both the landlord and from the retailers in the center, the combination of which helps to create a dynamic environment.

“Consumers are looking for unique and connective experiences at today’s retail centers. This starts with artful tenant curation to ensure a dynamic and lively mix of shopping and dining choices,” Scott Burnham, founder and CEO of Burnham USA Equities, tells GlobeSt.com. “It also requires selecting tenants who understand the importance of interactively programming their own spaces. The right tenant blend will encourage discovery among visitors and collaborations among tenants that gives rise to experiences, which is what today’s shoppers and diners increasingly desire.”

Programing can include collaborative tenant activations, events and promotions, and events organized by management, according to Burnham. It can be anything that helps drive community members to the center, and ultimately enhances the quality of the retail experience. “With the right tenant curation, retail programming will grow organically, as the tenants activate their spaces and collaborate with other tenants on larger promotions and events,” he explains. “No one knows their market/audience better than the tenants themselves, so this is a great way to launch programming. Center marketing and management teams can provide the tenants with creative support and linkage ideas to get them started.”

For management curated events, Burnham advises landlords to know their audience rather to make sure the event is hitting the right demographic, and not an event that a traditional mall would host. “At SOCO and The OC Mix in Costa Mesa, for example, we have an abundance of interior design showrooms and a very design-interested target market,” he says. “This leads us to stage events that appeal to this demographic, including our recent SOCO Day of Design event, that had 19 showrooms hosting panels, workshops and presentations in a day-long celebration of design inspiration for both interior designers and consumers, alike.”

As programming helps to drive foot traffic, it naturally has a positive impact on sales activity. However, it may take time to see the impacts. “It’s important to note that the impact may not be felt on that day, or even within month or quarter,” Burnham explains. “Events and other activations should be viewed as branding and marketing opportunities that expose consumers to your center and the stores and restaurants within it. You’re forging a relationship with these visitors. The event is just the beginning. You want them to feel connected with the center, the tenants, the retail and food offerings, their community. Once you’ve forged that relationship, the sales and traffic follows. Center owners and managers should consider event costs as branding and marketing expenditures and an important investment in the center’s growth and success.”

Additionally, programming can become an organic driver of growth. Attendees might tell a friend or post on social media, which in turn leads to a positive reputation. “Programming not only gives people a compelling reason to visit, it also gives them a compelling reason to share about their experience with their friends and spheres of influence,” says Burnham. “This is powerful marketing for a center.” Retail developers should consider programming when designing new retail properties. “When we designed SOCO and The OC Mix in 2009, we intentionally included both indoor and outdoor spaces that could be used for a wide variety of events, from intimate gatherings to large-scale fundraisers,” adds Burnham. “We even built farm stands in our parking lot for a weekly Farmers Market. At our new center — Long Beach Exchange in East Long Beach—we’ve created a large open plaza that serves as its own “anchor,” and a community hub. Here, we’ve designed spaces to accommodate outdoor movie nights, local musician and school group performances, and more.”

Event programming is not just a passing trend. Rather it has become integral to the new retail concept—one that is driven by experience. “Experiential retail is here to stay, and that means that organized programming and tenant collaborations and activations will continue to grow in frequency,” says Burnham. “The offerings will evolve as the audience evolves and continues to demonstrate to us what they want and need from our centers. Likely, we’ll see more signature, annual events – moving beyond traditional holiday fare – at centers. And, of course, we’ll continue to see centers being designed and redeveloped to create special spaces for these meaningful experiences that build the relationship between a center and its customers.”