(Originally published in TOURISM)
There is no denying that shopping is one of the most powerful travel motivators – ever – and studies report shopping to be one of the most common activities engaged in by travellers while on holiday. How important, then, is it for businesses focused on marketing shopping experiences to differentiate what they offer from the experiences offered by their competitors? Very!
And that is what Vaughan Mills (just north of Toronto) is all about, with 250 stores configured inside and outside a loop – somewhat like stores lining a racetrack. Imported from the US, the Mills concept does away with the typical series of anchors, explains marketing director Jamie MacLean: “Instead of an anchor store at either end of the mall, which is the traditional format for a shopping centre, we are looking at 14 major tenants like Winners and HomeSense. We also wanted to bring in a number of first‑time stores to Canada. We have the first Designer Depot in Canada, and Children’s Place. Bass Pro Shops/Outdoor World has a surface area of over 140,000 square feet; it is a fishing and hunting destination in itself, with a 40,000 gallon fish tank where you can catch fish feeding throughout the day and also take fishing lessons. The tank also provides habitat for 15 species that are native to Ontario.”
At Vaughan Mills, gone is plain old shopping and in comes “shoppertainment”, a term the Mills claims to have coined where the emphasis is on a richly‑textured high‑quality shopping experience. MacLean emphasizes how the entertainment component helps impart destination status to the Mills:
“We have the NASCAR SpeedPark for the first time in Canada, featuring indoor and outdoor race and go‑kart tracks. We also have the Lucky Strikes Lanes (upscale bowling) from Hollywood. We have the world’s largest Tommy Hilfiger store. Pro Hockey Life is opening the largest specialty hockey store in Canada; it will have a themed, interactive environment with an indoor ice pad, providing opportunities to try out the merchandise before committing to a purchase.”
So, shopping thereby becomes even more of an experiential journey. “40% of our shopping centre is based on the outlets concept (Holt Renfrew Last Call, Lacoste, Browns Outlet, Calvin Klein Underwear). So it is the combination of standard fashion, large‑scale retail formats, outlets, dining, and the entertainment components that make a difference for us.”
To refine the experience even further, the shopping centre is broken up into six neighbourhoods and six transition courts, themed to expose visitors to meticulously conceived architectural environments at six entrance ways. MacLean explains that the over‑arching theme is “Discover Ontario” with neighbourhoods themed for lakes, nature, rural, small town, city, and even a "fashion neighbourhood". “So as you move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, the Discover Ontario theme makes the beauty and diversity of the province more vivid. The total mix we offer elevates the shopping experience to a new level. Vaughan Mills is not just about shopping; it is about adventure and the emotional connection. It appeals to all the senses.
“Back in the 80s and 90s, it was a big deal to go to a shopping centre as a destination and to spend the day there. Over the years, that idea faded away because there wasn’t anything unique about the shopping experience.”
The West Edmonton Mall was a Canadian pioneer in destination shopping complexes, MacLean acknowledges, but he feels Vaughan Mills is also a pioneer in its own right: “We are the largest single level shopping centre in Canada. We are a significant attraction in Ontario because of the Discover Ontario theme, and we think it also provides a sense of education for tourists – something that they can take back with them.”
Last but not least, Vaughan Mills has developed extensive partnerships with the tourism industry through a standing package promotion with seven local hotels and 70,000 coupon books distributed annually to tourists. The Vaughan Mills Shop and Stay program has helped sustain the attraction’s success in the travel trade, where management feels it belongs.
There is no denying that shopping is one of the most powerful travel motivators – ever – and studies report shopping to be one of the most common activities engaged in by travellers while on holiday. How important, then, is it for businesses focused on marketing shopping experiences to differentiate what they offer from the experiences offered by their competitors? Very!
And that is what Vaughan Mills (just north of Toronto) is all about, with 250 stores configured inside and outside a loop – somewhat like stores lining a racetrack. Imported from the US, the Mills concept does away with the typical series of anchors, explains marketing director Jamie MacLean: “Instead of an anchor store at either end of the mall, which is the traditional format for a shopping centre, we are looking at 14 major tenants like Winners and HomeSense. We also wanted to bring in a number of first‑time stores to Canada. We have the first Designer Depot in Canada, and Children’s Place. Bass Pro Shops/Outdoor World has a surface area of over 140,000 square feet; it is a fishing and hunting destination in itself, with a 40,000 gallon fish tank where you can catch fish feeding throughout the day and also take fishing lessons. The tank also provides habitat for 15 species that are native to Ontario.”
At Vaughan Mills, gone is plain old shopping and in comes “shoppertainment”, a term the Mills claims to have coined where the emphasis is on a richly‑textured high‑quality shopping experience. MacLean emphasizes how the entertainment component helps impart destination status to the Mills:
“We have the NASCAR SpeedPark for the first time in Canada, featuring indoor and outdoor race and go‑kart tracks. We also have the Lucky Strikes Lanes (upscale bowling) from Hollywood. We have the world’s largest Tommy Hilfiger store. Pro Hockey Life is opening the largest specialty hockey store in Canada; it will have a themed, interactive environment with an indoor ice pad, providing opportunities to try out the merchandise before committing to a purchase.”
So, shopping thereby becomes even more of an experiential journey. “40% of our shopping centre is based on the outlets concept (Holt Renfrew Last Call, Lacoste, Browns Outlet, Calvin Klein Underwear). So it is the combination of standard fashion, large‑scale retail formats, outlets, dining, and the entertainment components that make a difference for us.”
To refine the experience even further, the shopping centre is broken up into six neighbourhoods and six transition courts, themed to expose visitors to meticulously conceived architectural environments at six entrance ways. MacLean explains that the over‑arching theme is “Discover Ontario” with neighbourhoods themed for lakes, nature, rural, small town, city, and even a "fashion neighbourhood". “So as you move from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, the Discover Ontario theme makes the beauty and diversity of the province more vivid. The total mix we offer elevates the shopping experience to a new level. Vaughan Mills is not just about shopping; it is about adventure and the emotional connection. It appeals to all the senses.
“Back in the 80s and 90s, it was a big deal to go to a shopping centre as a destination and to spend the day there. Over the years, that idea faded away because there wasn’t anything unique about the shopping experience.”
The West Edmonton Mall was a Canadian pioneer in destination shopping complexes, MacLean acknowledges, but he feels Vaughan Mills is also a pioneer in its own right: “We are the largest single level shopping centre in Canada. We are a significant attraction in Ontario because of the Discover Ontario theme, and we think it also provides a sense of education for tourists – something that they can take back with them.”
Last but not least, Vaughan Mills has developed extensive partnerships with the tourism industry through a standing package promotion with seven local hotels and 70,000 coupon books distributed annually to tourists. The Vaughan Mills Shop and Stay program has helped sustain the attraction’s success in the travel trade, where management feels it belongs.
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