28 California Buildings News • Q1 2017
New Beverly Center is Creating a Place to Shop, Engage and Converge, Light and Open Q&A with Ralph Barnes, General Manager at Beverly Center in Los Angeles
Q. The recent holiday season witnessed a continued surge of online shopping at the expense of in-store purchases. Some mall-based major chains have already announced closures in response. What was the experience of your retail center during 2016? A. At Beverly Center, we notice that customers are looking online first to find where they can purchase the product they’re searching for and then come into one of our retail stores to actually buy it. We have found that consumers prefer to physically see, touch or try on the merchandise and have the ability to make an easier return or exchange at an actual store, rather than take the chance on purchasing an item online and hassle with added shipping fees. Q. How does your retail center compete with cyber-shopping? A. We believe in the customer journey and providing a unique experience to everyone who visits. Beverly Center continues to ensure a seamless, convenient experience with special offerings for customers like same-day package delivery. Additionally, we offer guests that have traveled from more than 50 miles away our Passport to Shopping program, which gives exclusive retailer discounts and special privileges. This special program has been an integral part of the center’s visitor amenities for more than eight years. Last year, we announced a $500 million reimagination of Beverly Center and prior to the start of our renovation, we did extensive research to cater to the requests of our shoppers. The renovation project addresses their interests including creating a bright, contemporary and highly accessible exterior and interior, producing an effortless arrival, parking and departure experience, offering a perfectly curated retail lineup, superior destination dining and opening the center to engage it with the surrounding neighborhood. Q. Your mall, one of the largest in the state and one of the most successful, seems to be the exception to retail declines seen around the state. What’s your winning strategy?