Search for:

#ShopperMarketing: Case study - Gateway Theatre of Shopping

Sales promotions and events is one of the toughest categories to crack in the Footprint Marketing Awards, even more so when you're an independent retailer in one of the biggest malls in the country, competing against more than 390 national and international brands.
Shopper Marketing.
Shopper Marketing.

During 2016, Gateway Theatre of Shopping made it their personal mission to grow the bottom line of at least 40 independent retailers over the course of 12 months. “It was a mammoth task given the tough trading conditions in the retail sector, coupled with a limited budget,” recounted Bradley Knowles, executive: marketing at Primedia Unlimited Malls.

“However the big idea created by our team ticked all the boxes – inside one big box in fact.”

Thinking outside the box

Entitled ‘Out the Box’, the centre created a campaign that showcased the wares of up to six of its independent retailers each month. A giant glass enclosed box doubled as a retail store strategically located in one of the mall’s busy centre courts, which allowed multiple retailers to sell their just-unpacked items to shoppers.

“Our smaller independent stores have world class offerings in line with the centre’s expectations, but limited marketing budgets make it difficult to take this offering to a larger market,” said Michelle Shelley, Primedia Unlimited Malls marketing manager at Gateway.

“This way, the centre was able to play matchmaker between retailer and shopper, with multiple outlets literally available in one ‘box’, offering the shopper mini visits to several outlets, all within one location.”

The objective was to increase the turnover of each independent retailer above the country’s retail statistics.

As Knowles explained, “With the assistance of influencers, social media support, monthly mini launch events, luxury goodie bags for our influencers and consistent refreshing of the box, we achieved 75% ahead of our average turnover targets for our participating retailers, leading to Gateway achieving its overall growth objectives.”

Gateway 'Out the Box' shopper promotion.
Gateway 'Out the Box' shopper promotion.

Different installations within the box each month kept the look fresh and appealing to shoppers which in turn encouraged sales with participating stores all year round.

“Gateway’s Out the Box event became a hot topic around the province, to the extent that well-known personalities were calling in to ask to be included on the guest list, along with the general public pleading for an invitation.

“Our independent retailers have benefitted greatly from the extended exposure this campaign provided, and to top it off, Out the Box has just been awarded a Gold Footprint Award from the South African Council of Shopping Centres.”

Let's do Biz