Throughout the last months, many countries have begun to abandon, little by little, their quarantine measures. As a result, many commercial destinations are reopening and facing a different reality than the one we all knew. According to Chapman Taylor, the global practice of award-winning architects and master planners who specialise, among other things, in Office design and Retail, the pandemic accelerated the need for a change in the way we work and carry out our daily activities.
Even though the vaccination campaigns have improved the global context for economic activities, it is still necessary to adapt some measures for the future, such as social distancing, with the aim of reducing the chance of onward virus transmission. Now that commercial activities in shopping malls and leisure centres are going back to “normal”, it is interesting to analyse the different strategies that have been adopted and the results they offered.
Some of these strategies involve mixing uses and offering rewarding experiences. Providing entertainment and innovation will guarantee enjoyment and satisfaction for the customers. As Adrian Griffiths, Main Board Director of Chapman Taylor, asserts, providing a mix of uses will be convenient, as people will find it useful to live, work, shop and have a great time in the same place, and it will even contribute to sustainability.
“providing a mix of uses will be convenient, as people will find it useful to live, work, shop and have a great time in the same place”
In The New Shopping Experience (link a artículo), we consider how the industry should evolve in order to adapt to customers’ needs and demands after the pandemic and share Luis de Llera’s thoughts on the matter. The Specialty Leasing Manager at Carmila explains that customers still find it interesting to visit physical stores, so it is important to find the perfect balance between brick-and-mortar stores and online presence. It is even more useful to integrate these approaches though the widely discussed concept of Omnichannality.
Technology, of course, is another important aspect to keep in mind. The incorporation of visual experiences through interactive screens and updated information allows customers to develop a special bond with the brand and its products or services, and it also encourages them to share their experience in social media.
Challenging times are often a perfect moment to renew concepts and put new ideas into practice. We encourage professionals in our industry to find new ways of expressing their brand values and offering customers what they need. Do not be afraid of implementing new concepts and approaches, that is exactly what the world is asking for!
