FEATURES | COMMERCIAL
Experience Is The New Anchor The Top 5 Design Considerations For Experiential Retail Centers By Rob Budetti, Managing Partner, AO Retail centers are evolving, with experience and bumper boats are great ways to attract at the forefront and entertainment venues visitors and keep them coming back for more. emerging as the new anchors. Consumer expectations are Slated to open at the end of at an all-time high, driving 2024 in Mesa, Arizona, Dink When designing and planning retail centers with retailers to engage custom& Dine Pickle Park sets the entertainment anchors, it is important to keep the ers like never before. Gone stage for a pioneering era in following best practices in mind: are the days when shopping “sportstainment,” seamlessly centers relied on products to blending play, entertainment 1. Create a mix of uses: The best retail centers offer drive sales. Today, customand refined culinary experia variety of uses, including entertainment, shopping, ers are seeking out places ences. This newly adapted dining and office space. This mix of uses creates that can deliver a 360-degree complex spans 72,0000 a vibrant and inviting environment for shoppers, experience, encompassing square feet, boasting both increasing dwell time, which is key to the success of fun activities, great food, new indoor and outdoor pickall centers. entertainment, as well as the leball courts, a dedicated latest products, goods and dog park, a food hall, bars, 2. Make it easy to get around: The retail center services. expansive event spaces and should be easy to navigate, with clear wayfinding a live entertainment arena. and ample parking. Shoppers should be able to easAs the era of the department The architectural design of ily get from one entertainment venue to another, as store as the only anchor the facility is both elegant well as to the surrounding shops and restaurants. fades, reimagining existing and timeless, featuring three shopping centers is increasiconic grand entry towers and 3. Design for flexibility: The retail center should be ingly important to developers, an open-concept layout within designed in a way that allows for flexibility in the fucities and communities. The a welcoming, family-friendly ture. Multi-purpose spaces allow areas to be easily rise of sports and adventure atmosphere. converted to support a variety of uses. tourism delivers the perfect opportunity to fill the void, Overall, the trend of en4. Integrate art and landscape: Placemaking is revitalizing retail destinatertainment venues as the critical in establishing an experiential retail center. tions and offering something new anchor in retail center Elements like local art, verdant landscape, outdoor new. Today, we are seeing developments is a positive furniture, pocket parks, found objects sports and adventure-themed one for both consumers and water features create unique and Instagramofferings such as pickleball, and developers. Entertainmable moments where people want to gather and surf parks, mini golf, bowling, ment venues offer a fun and be seen in person and on social media. indoor climbing gyms, roller engaging experience for skating rinks and tramposhoppers, and they can help 5. Incorporate green features: Shoppers are inline parks replacing former to revitalize retail centers. creasingly looking for retail centers that are sustaindepartment store locations. Developers who are able to able and environmentally friendly. Developers can Additionally, live music and attract entertainment anchors incorporate green features such as solar panels, entertainment venues like to their properties can benefit rainwater harvesting and energy-efficient lighting. theaters and comedy clubs, from increased traffic, sales, as well as family entertaindwell times, rental rates and ment centers (FECs) like an overall more vibrant and arcades, batting cages, go-karts inviting center.
54 MANN REPORT | MARCH 2024
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