How Barcelona can reinvent shopping centers

Shopping centers in Barcelona have changed little in two decades. The new generations are used to buying online and hardly visit large stores.As a consequence, traffic has been lost, especially from younger shoppers. Recovering these visitors is not difficult: it demands openingpop-ups, energize the spaces and make them more attractive to encourage visits. For example, by holding events, concerts, and fun activities worth marking on the calendar.Let's start at the beginning: the importance of entertainment experiences. This is one of the most successful formulas for building customer loyalty because, through them, we achieve create experiences they will remember foreverIt's about stimulating the five senses: playing with music, smells, touch, and sight. Having a good time in the company of the brand awakens the connection with consumers and the desire to buy in the future.The store profile must be the main attraction of a shopping center, as well as to offer the client something exclusivethat you cannot find elsewhere. In 2010, Apple became the flagship brand of Westfield La Maquinista, as it was the only place in Barcelona and, for a time in Spain, that had a physical store of the brand. Some of the outlets we find today in this shopping center are Uniqlo, JD Sports or Urban Outfitters, which work in the same way, they are a claim, because they are the fashion companies of the moment.Making the customer a participant in the brand's activities is one of the greatest loyalty actions. A good strategy that can be carried out is the organization of in-person activities, such as workshops, talks, or even concerts, exhibitions, and reading clubs. Another good idea is to join synergies between several brands, creating exclusive collaborations. For example, carrying out a cobranding action between two firms (like Gucci and The North Face), whose garments can only be acquired in the shopping center.

Rightly, L'illa Diagonal has celebrated this June the free workshops and talks Les bones tardes, a showcooking of easy appetizers accompanied by a fitness class. The DIR gym chain also recently placed a paddle tennis court in this large area. Nox players from Catalonia performed exhibitions at the center and allowed the public to try their rackets while playing with them.

Programming digital experiences is another successful action. One idea is to create an entertainment game through which the client can design patterns and new collections. For this, related brands of clothing, shoes, accessories, and jewelry could team up.

A trend that many shopping centers already use is to offer digital experiences to create a hybrid between the offline and online world, allowing interaction, consultation, and shopping from large screens in an innovative way and with all the comforts. Going a step further, in 2019 the world's first 5G shopping center offering shopping assistance was inaugurated in Shanghai. Stores have facial recognition tools and can perform people flow analysis.

A trend that many shopping centers already use is to offer digital experiences to create a hybrid between the offline and online world

In cities like New York, the fusion of fashion and gastronomy is already a reality.The Polo Ralph Lauren flagship places special emphasis on this concept, with Ralph's Coffee, a premium coffee shop with quality products that invites us to visit the store after relaxing with a drink.

Continuing with the idea of gastronomy, which attracts so many people: why don't we generate a new concept, like a Zara Foods, in a shopping center in Barcelona? Or a food hall with proposals from different brands that we can enjoy in a shared space, in a good atmosphere and with good music? Innovation and entertainment are, without a doubt, the formula to attract the public.

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