Shopping centers have been facing enormous challenges and have undergone an incredible number of changes in recent years, and this will not be less throughout 2023. This year will be one of consolidation of the sector and of demonstrating, once again, the resilience of shopping centers. It is one of the sectors that has the most experience when it comes to reinventing itself and, therefore, it is one of those that has managed to be stronger in the current economic context.

In today’s post we see what are the main challenges and trends that these establishments will have to face in 2023.

Customer focus

Reviewing the future challenges of shopping centers, understanding the customer is gaining more and more importance, and to achieve this, it is key to have a consumer-focused vision. This idea is known as customer focus or customer centric, and consists of promoting positive experiences at each stage of the buyer’s journey or customer journey. Based on empathy, we manage to boost loyalty and satisfaction, generating ambassadors for our brand among our own customers.

Loyalty

One of the characteristics that customers are looking for is personalization based on their data and tastes, which they often make known through loyalty clubs. This synergy creates a unique user experience and allows shopping centers to tailor their value proposition to each customer. Thanks to loyalty you will be able to provide a better service by looking beyond the purchase itself, with satisfaction and loyalty as the main objective through understanding the customer.

Analyze customer behavior

To achieve the loyalty that we have just mentioned, it is vitally important to analyze the behavior of visitors when they visit the shopping center. Through the zoning technology of the heat maps, it is possible to identify which are the points with the highest concentration of visitors and thus understand the flow that users follow within the commercial space.

Creation of experiences

We must remember that customers go to shopping centers not only to buy, but also to live and share moments and experiences. They want to experience all the possibilities to the fullest: flavours, smells, images,… Customers who visit the shopping center are becoming more and more demanding, due to the wide and attractive offer of original and fun activities that exist in the market. Decoration, interaction and the importance of digitization flood commercial spaces that today are much more than consumer stores.

Omnichannel and convergence of physical and online stores

Among the strategies to achieve the personalization and simplification that customers demand, the convergence of physical and online stores and, in conclusion, omnichannel stand out. It has been shown on multiple occasions that omnichannel makes shopping easier for consumers by being a more comfortable way and easily adaptable to their time and circumstances of each day. This modality jointly unites physical and digital strategies as part of the same customer-focused system.

Sustainability

Sustainability has become a fundamental pillar of our society. For this reason, companies seek to be pioneers in implementing sustainable solutions that bring them closer to their customers, have a positive impact on the environment and, at the same time, differentiate them from the competition. In 2023, more and more advances related to sustainability will emerge in aspects such as the buildings and infrastructures themselves.

In summary, 2023 appears to be a promising year for the sector, in which shopping centers will continue to adapt to the new demands of consumers, largely focused on customer focus and omnichannel. We must bear in mind that, currently, new technological advances and digital tools are allies and will allow the sector to continue growing and achieving increasingly better results.