Hammerson gets major footfall boost from experiential Festival of Lights

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 24, 2019

Malls giant Hammerson on Friday hailed the importance of experiential events at shopping destinations as it said that its Festival of Light 2019 drove major increases in footfall and reached around 1.5 million people on social media.

The company took the immersive lights-based event on a tour of three of its flagship destinations this year and said that more than 125,000 visitors are estimated to have attended the events at the shopping centres.

At the Bullring in Birmingham, the company said that it drove a 9.8% year-on-year increase in visitor traffic, and that it also saw month-on-month increases at Westquay in Southampton and Dundrum in Dublin.

The Festival of Light used experiential and interactive light displays “to excite and engage,” and it not only boosted footfall, but “also attracted new consumers to the flagship destinations.” 

Hammerson said its research showed that during the event in Birmingham, 31% of visitors to the centre were new, and the number of consumers coming from beyond the destination’s core catchment area rose by 5%.

The footfall rise was also helped by a number of the restaurants and cafes at the malls offering discounts, a key factor as modern shoppers are increasingly expecting to be able to dine as well as shop.

The Festival of Light centred on a series of themed installations, and the final production at each destination was tailored to suit the local environment. The installations also had an impact online. At Westquay, where the event was running for the third consecutive year, the event’s social media content reached over 1.1 million people, and it also led to “increased usage of the destination’s app and website."

Such events are becoming increasingly important in the battle to get consumers out from behind their screens and moving into physical shops. And they’re also helping to add to the strength of already-dominant ‘supermalls’, with giant mall operators having the deep pockets to invest in major experiences, as well as the ability to attract more tenants with an experiential edge.