Hate to shop? Blame the mall

Wonder why retailing is in such a funk these days? Don’t just chalk it up to the troubled economy. Blame the shopping malls themselves because they’re boring and doing a lousy job of trying to quench consumers’ thirst for excitement. That’s not me talking. It’s the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Wharton and the Verde Group, an Atlanta-based firm specializing in helping companies identify and overcome sources of customer dissatisfaction, recently conducted a study that revealed an undercurrent of disillusionment among mall shoppers that goes beyond any beefs they have with individual stores. (For purposes of this study, researchers defined a ‘mall’ as a fully enclosed shopping center with at least two department stores or a landscaped, open-air mall with no large department stores.)

The study — based on a national survey of 917 people — showed:

• Four of five shoppers had at least one complaint about their most recent mall visit. That’s up from about half of shoppers in previous surveys.
• 35 percent of respondents said the malls they shopped were blasé, offering nothing new or unique.
• 35 percent griped about mall food, describing the selection of restaurants as “too limited.”
• 28 percent complained that too many stores carry the same products.
• 25 percent said it was hard to find a parking space.

“The biggest surprise was the overall problem incidence,” Paula Courtney, president of the Verde Group, told me. “We never expected it to be that high.”

“The lack of ‘discovery’ or the ‘what’s around the corner’ factor seems to be sorely missing for shoppers who want to enjoy themselves at the mall,” says Professor Stephen J. Hoch, faculty director of Wharton’s Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative. “Malls can’t be mundane in this economic climate, they need to excite shoppers from the moment they arrive versus make them want to turn around and leave.” 

The study further revealed some interesting factoids about Americans’ shopping behavior. For example, those surveyed drove an average of 25 miles to their mall of choice and visited five stores per trip.  One in three browsed for at least two hours, and the majority spent $150 during their visit. Only one in ten failed to purchase anything. Who spent the most time shopping and ran up the biggest bills? The answer might surprise you: 25- to 40-year-olds.

Not surprising, however, was the fact that men were more likely than women to bellyache about poor or insufficient signage to help them find what they were looking for. On the other hand, women were more likely to complain out loud about any problems they experienced.

The Verde Group’s Paula Courtney said that 18- to 24-year-olds were the grouchiest shoppers. They were more likely to characterize their shopping experiences as humdrum, and complain about their inability to park where they wanted or find a space. These young adults were also annoyed the most by the presence of other young people, complaining about too many teenagers hanging around the mall. How’s that for irony?

What are your pet peeves about mall shopping? Write to tightwad at cro dot consumer dot org.

Comments

[KC]

I hate the overall size of shopping malls and large stores in general. You have to walk 30 or more yards from your parked car to the store front. Then you have to walk all over the mega store or mall to get the few items you need. It just isn't worth my time. I'll pay 10-20% more in a smaller, locally owned store and get in and out faster.

TOD RELIES: I empathize completely. One of the things that irks me about mall shopping are some newer shopping centers with a traffic pattern that forces you to walk to one end of the mall or the other to access an escalator.

[Kman]

I'd love it if the malls would just eliminate those kiosks that sell all sorts of junk. The sales people are pushy and annoying and after a while, being annoyed 3 or 4 times in 5 minutes, detracts from the trip.

[Jim]

Why fight the traffic when there are web sites such as Amazon, where you can read consumer ratings? This isn't an advert for that site, you can use such ratings to buy from any other site on the internet that may have a better price.

TOD REPLIES: In survey after survey, our subscribers have given Amazon top scores for buying books, small appliances, and electronics. Most of the time you can qualify for free shipping, too.

[Go Shopping Info]

Malls seem to be the best place to shop, as they offer such a wide variety of shopping options. From high-end brands to bargain stores, you can find almost anything you need in the correct price bracket for your budget.