Clutter: Mall Bawl
The Mall of America home to three Victoria’s Secrets and five Gap stores just got better: General Mills’ Cereal Adventure is open, blaring out its contribution to the marketing clutter that makes MoA the world’s biggest, busiest mall. If you can break through there, you can break through anywhere.
The Minneapolis mall boasts 43 million visitors traipsing around its 2.5 million square feet of retail space each year. Trust us: 520 stores can make a lot of promotion noise.
It’s no surprise that “Sale” signs dominate the 4.3 miles of storefront footage. On the first floor alone, 66 stores had sales signs visible from the hallway. (We counted 115 in total on three floors.) The sign-of-the-times award goes to KB Toys’ “Internet Toy Closeout” (“A leading Internet toy retailer has closed. Up to 60% off wholesale prices.”)
Only seven gift-with-purchase deals were flagged outside stores. One eye-catcher: Ray-Ban gave a leather “Remember the Aviators” case with specs purchase; a Pearl Harbor poster (with a saluting Cuba Gooding Jr.) hung in the front window.
Rebates flourished at teen-skewed stores (Structure, Contempo Casuals, Macy’s Juniors department), pitched as “Spend $50, earn $25” or “Get cash free” (that’s $10 toward next purchase with a $40 purchase). Pearle Vision pays for eye exams with purchase.
We found four sweepstakes or contests: Clark’s Shoes pitched a $500 shopping spree, and clothier Zumiez flagged its Design a Deck contest (that’s a skateboard or snowboard, folks) at zumiez.com. Red Wing Shoes gave away a Richard Petty tool chest and Winston Cup tickets; Record Town boasted a Mazda Protégé 5 giveaway (with four winners nationally).
Events: There are about 330 events per year, and they’re charted in a monthly newspaper. Highlights from the week PROMO visited (June 18): Better Homes & Gardens tour (home and health info), Barnes & Noble breakfast with Winnie the Pooh, and Snoopy’s Dance Party (kids dance competition).
Big fetes happen in Sam Goody Central, which was known as the Rotunda until the music chain signed as first sponsor in late 2000. Mountain Dew used the spot for a NCAA Final Four bash when the college tournament played out in the nearby Metrodome.
Cause-marketing events draw crowds, too, including the annual Thanksgiving Walk for Hunger (with Northwest Airlines) and Walk for the Cure (for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation).
Clubs: The Mall Walkers Club has 3,000-plus members who clock miles (by swiping cards at the East entrance) to earn T-shirts, water bottles, and show tickets. Seniors-only Active Stars get discounts and education/entertainment sessions on Wednesdays. “Toddler Tuesdays” discounts and entertainment lure young families on the week’s slowest day. Barnes & Noble hosts Book Group events. Hallmark Crown Card holders and Gloria Jean’s Coffee Club members get discounts. Kids “R” Us promotes sister Toys “R” Us’s Camp Geoffrey (daily in-store entertainment) with signage and calendars.
Samples: PROMO’S favorite: A bizarre print ad that looks like a wild posting sends shoppers into Record Town for a sample of Wrigley Extra Polar Ice gum. (“Just gum? No way!”) Sadly, once inside, the box for old wrappers was easier to find than the samples themselves.
Williams-Sonoma promised “Summer Drink Madness!” but its in-store sample table was unmanned. Cinnabon gave bites of chocolate rolls. (PROMO took two.) Villa Pizza hawked garlic bread. (PROMO passed.) Sarno’s Gelato cart gave icy tastes.
Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret had women spritzing cologne near their front doors. One called, “Come check out our sale,” scoring extra points for that personal appeal.
P-O-P: We’d have gone cross-eyed counting, but here are the highlights: digital P-O-P boards in the windows at Eddie Bauer and at the USPS counter inside Postmark America; Snoopy’s Rockin’ Summer and Underwater World banners in all corridors; hand-painted Snoopies salvaged from St. Paul’s 2000 salute to native Charles Schulz; Gap’s graffiti-style signs (clear static cling with “spray-painted” words); a Tommy Hilfiger cosmetics display with its own music (via speakers bolted to the shelves) and music videos playing in the endcaps. Oddly, the videos didn’t match the audio tunes.
Specialty Stores: Like Cereal Adventure (and its attendant gift shop), some outlets here are pure promotion. The Barbie Store (via FAO Schwarz). Betty Crocker (housed inside a giant slice of cake). Aqua Massage (looks like an iron lung, massages you fully clothed). As Seen on TV Store. Holiday Station (a genuine gas station, sans pumps). Mystic Lake Casino showroom, with free shuttles to the actual casino 20 miles away.
TV Tie-ins: The Art Museum Store has a poster of A&E’s Biography series on Impressionist painters. The Discovery Channel Store blows out Animal Planet’s Croc Week with a display including talking Steve dolls, T-shirts, and videos shelved under a tape loop from the show. Trendy clothes shop Hot Topic boasts SpongeBob SquarePants goodies.
Were we exhausted by four hours of promo-watching? Yes. Did we find a few bargains to take home? Always do. That’s why we go back.
