The Shopping Centre Marketing Mix

Wilmshurst and Mackay (2002: 109) and Lamb, et al. (2004: 424) concur that the marketing mix is a unique blend of product, distribution, promotion and pricing strategies within the centre that is designed to produce mutually satisfying exchanges to a target market. Ziethaml and Bitner (2003: 26 - 27) suggest an extended marketing mix which recognizes that the people who deliver these offerings are as important as the physical layout and atmosphere within the company.

This definition implies that tangible and intangible elements are inseparable when buying the shopping centre’s offerings. The friendliness and dress code of employees of the shopping centre, together with the atmospherics are a vital factor which contributes to the success of the shopping centre and the fulfilment of atmospherics to consumer’s satisfaction. These benefits must now be turned into product attributes (Ziethaml & Bitner 2003: 27). The product attributes can be placed into five main categories, namely: a quality level, features or physical characteristics, styling or design, a brand name and packaging. The following major benefits desired by the consumer in the shopping centre are visibility, accessibility, product and service offerings, entertainment, size of stores, retail mix, critical mass, design and layout, functionality, anchorage, people traffic flows, competitiveness, market research, merchandise profile, tenant mix, packing areas, design and management of services within the shopping centre. Rajagopal (2006) also maintains that the consumer shopping behaviour during leisure is largely driven by the recreational infrastructure as a competitive strategy of retailers whereby individuals experience enjoyment from shopping.

Accessibility is also important at a micro-level-for example, easy walking access from existing shopping areas, public transport stations and car parks. Developers do not, however, always have free choice as to the location, size and form of new shopping centres. At the macro-level, government attitudes towards out-of-town development, the desire of planners to maintain the hierarchy of centres, and the creation of enterprise zones, for example, can have a significant impact on the location of centres. At a macro-level, developers can also be constrained by the availability of land, development control procedures, restrictions on land-use, and requirements to integrate with existing building structures (Guy 1994).

Brassington and Pettitt (2003: 546) state that the choice of location is linked to social and demographic changes, such as increase in car ownership, one ‘stop’ shopping and the rising number of working women with too little time to shop for their families.

According to Barnes (2002: 11), shopping centres in South Africa are increasingly utilising the marketing opportunities offered by various kinds of entertainment activities, not only to draw consumers to the centres, but also to build possible long-term relationships. These relationships will become imperative in determining future marketing strategies for shopping centres. Consequently, this empirical study attempts to address these aspects.

STATISTICS – SANIYAZ