Sophie McKay is a writer and journalist. She writes about issues including tech, social and political issues and the arts. She’s written for publications including iD and Novara Media.

Experience Hunters

Shoppers are returning to IRL shopping and are expecting novelty and fun in the wake of lockdown restrictions. While the evolution of shopping centres has been occurring for some time, Westfield is pushing the bar even further by focusing on experiential retail and post-pandemic experiences. Westfield malls owner, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), is on a mission to transform the Westfield brand into a media powerhouse, changing how consumers engage with retail. “We want to position ourselves not just as a shopping and leisure destination, but an active powerful media owner, redefining the shopping mall,” says Caroline Puechoultres, URW’s chief customer officer. 

The Drum

 across the UK, the US, and Europe, as well as access to URW’s 1,700 digital billboards and 230 brand experience locations. It’s beginning to use these spaces for advertisers and brands to test out campaigns, launch products, and raise awareness of profiles, embedding consumers more deeply into the Westfield brand experience. The London location has already played host to an AstroTurf activation space during Wimbledon’s 2022 season, as well as pop-up stores featuring an F1 x Peroni (0%) takeover which featured an F1 garage and free samples of the alcohol-free beer. Leisure now accounts for roughly 25% of Westfield’s make-up, tapping into consumer demands for engaging IRL experiences post-pandemic. 

 By increasing experiential and entertainment aspects, the brand aims to draw customers in for a day out that is akin to going to a theme park, but one that people don’t have to pay to enter. 

Westfield shopping centres have a long-standing history in the UK and US, but many of their European sites are less known and operate under 

. To globalise the brand, URW is integrating 55 local websites into one global online platform – consolidating the customer experience, marketing strategy, and media business operations under the Westfield brand. As IRL shopping experiences continue to undergo a facelift, can a global approach and interactive, immersive, and experiential elements elevate retail?

Westfield has expanded its experiential offerings to provide shoppers with a fun day out

Shopping centres as experience destinations

The lack of human connection during lockdowns caused a surge in loneliness – at the start of the pandemic 5% of British adults reported feeling ‘often’ or ‘always’ lonely, but by 2021 this had risen to 7.2%, equating to 3.7 million people. 

Mental Health Foundation

 This led to pent-up demand for IRL activities and has seen UK shoppers flock back to stores, with 45% saying they’d prefer to shop in person if given the option. 

Retail Insight Network

 “It doesn’t feel that lonely when people go physically shopping. They don’t just want to interact with the products but also the staff,” says Zana Busby, a chief consumer psychologist at Retail Reflections. “Questions are better answered face to face than by online customer service. The social connection is one of our human needs.” 

Interview with Zana Busby conducted by the author

 As such, retail locations are positioning themselves as 

 elevated its flagship store to incorporate theatrical tours and bottle-your-own-whisky stations, while the 

 pop-up in London featured a bespoke book shop, a café space for creatives, and a listening lounge.

Westfield’s decision to consolidate sites across Europe illustrates the significance of consistency. In fact, research from Lucidpress finds that if a brand is consistent, revenue increases on average by 10-20%. 

Lucidpress

 Brand unification brings a level of familiarity that makes Westfield easily recognisable, helping it to build trust and consumer loyalty. This is becoming increasingly important with high consumer expectations and a desire for newer, more unified brand experiences. "It’s not about necessity anymore, it's about experiencing something new,” says Busby. “It’s almost an adventure, something entertaining. And expectations have become high in the last few years. Because there’s so much competition and selection, different brands, and names. We’ve become really spoiled as consumers so we expect the best experience.” 

In the UK, 86% of consumers engage with ads across social media platforms, 40% say they’re more likely to engage with in-feed ads than those on web pages, and 15% have increased their interaction with in-feed adverts since the start of the pandemic. 

Media Shotz

PR Newswire

 As more people engage with these ads in online environments, brands are levelling up and experimenting with innovative formats to keep consumers engaged. For example, 

 launched an experiential ad campaign for its Jaffa Jonuts that included giant sculptures across the UK, allowing people to claim a free pack if they found one and encouraging image sharing across social platforms. Westfield is also tapping into these shifts in advertising by allowing brands to promote their products onsite in experiential and interactive ways.

People value in-store experiences as they enable close product interaction

By working collaboratively with media and entertainment brands, Westfield is broadening its appeal and offering customers shopping experiences they’re unable to find elsewhere. As 47% of UK shoppers say that the biggest value of in-store experiences is being able to interact with the products, betting on IRL consumer experiences can appeal to people beyond their purchasing decisions. 

 “You can’t use all the senses when you shop online: being able to smell and touch products really heightens retail,” says Busby. “As human beings, we seek out these pleasurable, interactive experiences.” 

While a brand may be easily recognisable in one part of the world, This familiarity doesn’t always translate abroad. Westfield’s decision to consolidate its branding across Europe capitalises on the power of global branding and aligns with the 75% of people that say a consistent brand logo is the most recognizable brand identifier. 

Renderforest

 Brands that can maintain their regional identity and appeal while appealing to global consumers will be able to win over curious consumers that are looking for strong brand visuals and identities, shopping with the brands that they recognise and can easily pick out.

“Shopping doesn’t happen on a rational level, it happens on an emotional level,” says Busby. “So we’re talking about wants and desires. When people feel stressed or anxious, they don’t feel that they’re in control, and many decide to take back control through retail therapy.” 

 Experiences and experiential adverts can be used to entertain and surprise customers who are looking for more from their shopping experiences – 44% of UK shoppers say that shopping in-store is how they stay connected to brands. 

 Westfield and the brands it partners with are forging deeper relationships with consumers that are returning to in-store shopping, allowing people to connect with brands IRL through innovative campaigns and activations.

 of UK shoppers say they’d prefer to shop in person if given the option

 of UK shoppers say that the biggest value of in-store experiences is being able to interact with the products

If a brand is consistent across platforms and markets, revenue increases on average by 

Westfield is prioritising interaction and entertainment in its shopping centres, appealing to those looking for elevated IRL retail

This follows its decision to unify branding across its UK, US, and European stores, consolidating the customer experience across markets

Retail locations are becoming more than just outlets, meeting demands for experiential shopping by becoming holistic entertainment experiences

Zana Busby is the chief consumer psychologist at Retail Reflections. She’s a qualified psychologist who has worked extensively across psychology and mental health in business. She’s a regular speaker at conferences and her knowledge has been featured on networks such as BBC Radio.

United Kingdom

Shopping

With people looking for elevated brick-and-mortar store experiences, many are choosing to shop with brands that inject fun into IRL retail. Westfield is turning its shopping centres into entertainment destinations, attracting shoppers looking for fulfilling and interactive retail experiences.

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