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Trends |
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Although the centres visited were all very different, it was possible to identify some common trends:
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Themeing - Many of us ‘tourists’ struggled to feel entirely comfortable with the high level of ‘themeing’ – and in particular historical pastiche – in many of the centres we visited, from the recreation of a traditional US town centre in Las Vegas’ Town Square and the Mediterranean/South American-‘ised‘ streets of Santana Row in San Jose to the Disney-style recreations of ancient Greece (The Forum Shops) and Venice (The Grand Canal Shoppes) in the malls attached to Caesar’s Palace and The Venetian casino-resorts in Vegas. More … |
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Shop frontages and fit-outs - Shop fits and, in particular, store frontages in many of the centres were much more elaborate and diverse than is usually the case in the UK. Where the British developer often seeks to impose visual order along a line of retail frontages in a centre, the US landlord’s view seemed to be that the centre was only the backdrop against which the retailers should be allowed the freedom to ‘perform’. More … |
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Mall design & layout - Trevor Colman of Colman Architects felt that the layout and design of many of the centres we visited seemed to challenge some of the most basic accepted principles of mall design in the UK. More … |
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Commitment to customer service - Where the US consistently outclasses the UK is in the delivery of customer experience – and this was certainly evident in the shopping centres we visited where they are routinely providing the level of service that we in the UK are, for the most part, only talking about. More … |
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Commercialisation & marketing |
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From malls to streets and cars |
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Food as an anchor |
Themeing
Many of us ‘tourists’ struggled to feel entirely comfortable with the high level of ‘themeing’ – and in particular historical pastiche – in many of the centres we visited, from the recreation of a traditional US town centre in Las Vegas’ Town Square and the Mediterranean/South American-‘ised‘ streets of Santana Row in San Jose to the Disney-style recreations of ancient Greece (The Forum Shops) and Venice (The Grand Canal Shoppes) in the malls attached to Caesar’s Palace and The Venetian casino-resorts in Vegas.
The architect of one such scheme told us about designing and building a period-style warehouse as part of a scheme, in order to immediately convert it into retail and restaurants! Elsewhere it was set designers rather than architects who were employed to deliver façades and period detailing.
Many felt that UK and European shoppers are looking for more authenticity.
David Fraser of study tour sponsors Harrison Fraser points out that the USA in general – and the West Coast in particular – holds Hollywood close to its heart and there is, therefore, far less cynicism about such theming than there would be in the UK. In the more historical environments of European town centres we have different drivers and this – combined with a re-emergence of respect for contemporary architecture – has given UK developers permission to create new buildings in a modern idiom to stand alongside the best of our built heritage. To European eyes, this is certainly seems of a more positive direction.
However, some of the more recent US schemes we visited seemed to mark a new generation of contemporary design, using signature architecture rather than themes to create identity – in Las Vegas, for example, there is Fashion Show Mall with its uncompromisingly modern frontage onto The Strip.
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Shop frontages and fit-outs
Shop fits and, in particular, store frontages in many of the centres were much more elaborate and diverse than is usually the case in the UK. Where the British developer often seeks to impose visual order along a line of retail frontages in a centre, the US landlord’s view seemed to be that the centre was only the backdrop against which the retailers should be allowed the freedom to ‘perform’.
CBRE’s Mark Disney likened the centres to a gallery in which the shops were the paintings. The result is a lot more individuality and less regimented feel that in many UK centres.
Lunson Mitchenall’s Richard Cripps was one of many who were particularly taken by the shop fronts of the various Abercrombie & Fitch brands. The brick ‘house’ frontage of the Hollister store in Westfield San Francisco Centre being a prime example of their almost secretive, exclusive approach where you have to know the retailers’ brand before you step inside the shop without even seeing any of the merchandise.
This variety can be visually exciting, although occasionally creates rather uncomfortable juxtaposition of styles and where several such stores appear side by side can create areas that don’t even look like there are any shops to go into!
One consequence of the more flamboyant shop fronts – and, one that might particularly appeal to the UK developer in these straightened times – was that this appeared to allow for lower quality mall finishes and far less detailing than would be the norm in the UK.
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Mall design & layout
Trevor Colman of Colman Architects felt that the layout and design of many of the centres we visited seemed to challenge some of the most basic accepted principles of mall design in the UK.
In particular our rigid adherence to maintaining sightlines across malls and up through different levels of a centre seems to carry less weight in the USA. Curved malls, columns, RMUs, advertisting, furniture and planting/mature trees all often blocked views. However, the reaction of the tour group to this varied considerably. While some felt it was likely to confuse shoppers, others felt it provided greater flexibility and opportunities for creative design solutions.
Malls were often wider than would be the norm in the UK. And, many centres have dealt with changes in site level via surprisingly steep slopes or truncated malls that stop in mid air.
Stunning individual design flourishes – such as the curved escalators in Westfield San Francisco Centre (the first in the world) and The Forum Shops in Las Vegas – did not seem to be matched by overall interior design quality. In some cases interiors were felt to lack clarity (with a vast array of different mall and floor finishes all fighting for attention in schemes such as Westfield San Francisco Centre for example) while others lacked sparkle with dull or black ceilings and down lighting.
Carpeted malls were another surprising feature for many of the tour group – not appreciated from either a design or management point of view – although there wasn’t a piece of ground in chewing gum in sight! |
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Commitment to customer service
Where the US consistently outclasses the UK is in the delivery of customer experience – and this was certainly evident in the shopping centres we visited where they are routinely providing the level of service that we in the UK are, for the most part, only talking about.
According to David Fraser of Fraser Harrison, all centres we visited – and the Westfield centres in particular – demonstrated a real commitment to delivering a high quality of customer comfort and pleasure. “Customer experience is seen as a very serious business with proper research, analysis and KPIs – the same tools to measure success as might be used for sales” he commented.
A particular talking point was the high quality, imaginative family facilities. The children’s play areas at Town Square in Las Vegas and the Bellevue Centre in Seattle made one want to be a kid again. While the luxurious, sponsored, brightly decorated, sponsored family rest rooms at Westfield Southcenter - complete with TV, play area, baby changing facilities – were a wonder to behold. Although some of our number did spot some big health & safety concerns with exposed wires and sharp edges.
Visitors were encouraged to ‘hang out’ at the centres. The malls were awash with soft seating – from the wicker armchairs under the trees in San Jose’s Santana Row to the modernist sofas outside Bloomingdales in Westfield San Francisco Mall. In Westfield Southcenter there were even TVs – showing local news and sports channels.
And, all were beautifully maintained, spotlessly clean and with no sign of vandalism.
Wayfinding and signage were impressive – particularly in Westfield San Francisco Mall – where interactive site plans helped shopper navigate the 9 levels of retail and leisure - and Fashion Show Mall. |
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Commercialisation & marketing
Another area one would expect US malls to excel is in the field of commercialisation. RMUs were evident in almost all of the centres – and generally of a higher quality than in the UK - although there was some debate among the tour team as to whether there were too many or too few!
Westfield Southcenter in Seattle and Vegas’ Fashion Show Mall provided something of a master-class in creating and exploiting income generating advertising and promotional opportunities. At Southcenter the mall TVs and family areas were sponsored, the whole of the stunning new entrance atrium had been given over to the promotion of Vespa (including advertising around atrium on all three levels and even under the escalators) and huge H&M banners ran along either side of old mall. |
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From malls to streets and cars
Many of us were surprised to see so many open malls on our travels – Santana Row, University Village and Town Square – and to find out that more than 90% of new malls currently being built in the USA are all uncovered – making the most of the apparently endless sunshine.
Although both had vast, surface parking lots, Santana Row and Town Square had both integrated the car into the schemes themselves, using on-street parking and movement to provide animation and define appropriate scale to the new streets, emphasising the ‘downtown’ feel they were trying to create.
Chapman Taylor’s Paul Truman felt that this demonstrated that perhaps the UK’s preoccupation with pedestrian only retail streets should be challenged more often. |
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Food as an anchor
Stereotyping aside, it is certainly true that Americans like to eat and the important role of food as a major driver of footfall was evident everywhere we went.
From the pavement cafés and restaurants of Santana Row and University Village through the food courts in both Westfield schemes (Westfield San Francisco Centre and Westfield Southcenter) to the huge Bristol Farms grocery store, also at Westfield San Francisco Centre the food offer was generally more sophisticated and given greater emphasis than in the UK. |
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