Sixty-three years ago, on October 8, Edina, Minnesota welcomed the first-ever American mall: Southdale Center. At 800,000 sq. ft. and boasting 72 storefronts, the mall set the precedent for a burgeoning retail landscape and introduced a shopping complex that combined convenience, culture and a sense of community.
Over the last several decades, malls have drastically scaled to now offer movie theatres, restaurants, co-working spaces, live events and more. As a result, malls have not only solidified themselves as a piece of classic Americana, but remain destinations for discovery and novel experiences.
To commemorate the history of the mall and the strides made since, Shopkick, a leading shopping rewards app, officially announces October 8 as the first annual National Mall Walking Day — a day to visit your local mall with friends and family and take advantage of these gathering spots by shopping, dining, and being active.
American malls continue to resonate and perform strongly with consumers of all ages. Shopkick and Southdale Center recently surveyed over 20,000 US consumers and found that younger generations outperformed Baby Boomers when it came to visiting malls every month: 39 percent of Gen Zers and 36 percent of Millennials visit malls monthly, compared to 32 percent of Baby Boomers.
Additional survey findings include:
- Shopping Spree: 90 percent of respondents visit shopping malls, and of those who visit shopping malls, nearly 60 percent visit every month (18 percent visit weekly).
- What’s in Store: 67 percent of shoppers visit two to four stores during their time at malls; 44 percent of Gen Zers visit over five stores per visit.
- Mall Cop FTW: When it comes to a favorite cultural touchstone, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” ranked the highest with 26 percent, squeaking out “Mean Girls” (25.5 percent), and blowing away “Stranger Things” (18 percent), “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (11 percent), “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” (8 percent) and “Mall Rats” (5 percent).
- Mall Treats: 45 percent say Auntie Anne’s is their favorite mall snack, followed by Cinnabon (21 percent), and Orange Julius (7 percent).
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Mall Memories: Malls continue to be the scene of romance, firsts, and big life moments for respondents:
- 46 percent have been on a date to the mall
- 38 percent made a major purchase at a mall (engagement ring, baby’s first shoes, wedding/prom dress)
- 44 percent got their ears pierced at a mall
- 47 percent consider the mall the first hang-out spot in their teens
- 24 percent had their first experience with Santa Claus at a mall
- 15 percent had their first job at a mall
“We recognize that the American mall is a pillar in the retail ecosystem and has had a highly-personal impact on the lives of people across the country,” said David Fisch, General Manager of Shopkick. “That’s why celebrating National Mall Walking Day is so significant to our team. It is a fun and rewarding way to recognize the strides retail has seen over the last 63 years and its influence on the global economy.”
“We’re always evolving for consumers’ lifestyle needs with curated premier shopping, dining and mixed-use entertainment at Southdale Center,” said Southdale Center’s General Manager Judy Tullius. “We’re not only a place to shop, but a place to enjoy special experiences and National Mall Walking Day will further drive those memorable experiences.”
In honor of National Mall Walking Day, Shopkick is offering 75 free kicks (Shopkick’s rewards currency) to shoppers who visit Southdale Center or one of the largest 20 malls in America on October 8, 2019. Locate your nearest mall here.
Shopkick conducted a survey of 20,062 users to gain insights into mall shopping frequency and habits. The survey was conducted between September 9 and September 16, 2019.
About Shopkick, Inc.
Shopkick, a Trax company, is the leading shopping rewards app, bringing moments of joy to everyday shopping – both on- and off-line. For brands and retailers, Shopkick provides high consumer engagement along the entire path to purchase. The company’s unique pay for performance model has been proven to deliver high ROI, driving incremental traffic, product engagement, and sales. Some of its leading brand and retail partners include Auntie Anne’s, Barilla, Brighton, Coty, eBay, GE, Kellogg’s, LEGO, TJ Maxx and Unilever, among others.
Shopkick is available for free on iPhone from the App Store and for Android from Google Play. For more information, please visit www.shopkick.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190923005160/en/