Bloomington, Minnesota, Mall of America, One of the largest malls in the world it is home to over … [+]
Mall of America remains an anomaly among shopping malls. Besides its ginormous 5.6 million square feet, its over 520 world-class stores and restaurants, and its indoor Nickelodeon Universe theme park, several striking statistics make it stand out.
MOA has consistently drawn forty million visitors annually, since opening in 1992. That’s roughly the same number of folks who bump fists with Mickey and Minnie at the 27,000-acre Disneyworld Theme Park. It’s also comparable to the number of annual pilgrimages to the Las Vegas Strip, supplied by over 600,000 annual aircraft flights in and out of Vegas.
Mall of America, by comparison, occupies a mere seven acres. It’s essentially one very big building that produces an ever-changing, immersive retail experience, like none other. It has rightfully earned the reputation as both an international travel destination, and the “Top Retail Center Experience” in the nation, according to Chain Store Age.
Lining Up Early
I reached out to MOA’s Jill Renslow, Chief Business Development & Marketing Officer, to talk about the countdown to Black Friday at Mall of America® and she was very animated about the anticipated 200,000 or so visitors expected the day after Thanksgiving. She said their most ardent “shopaholics” will begin lining up at the mall’s North entry, long before their November 29th 7:00 AM opening. The first two hundred folks in the door will receive a $25 Mall of America gift card which will also make them eligible for the Pepsi sponsored $2,500 grand prize.
Who’s Shopping and When?
Renslow shared some interesting stats from a recent survey suggesting that 86 percent of respondents plan to shop Black Friday. Of those, 42 percent are early birds looking for exclusive deals and promotions (I’m not one of those). Twenty-six percent prefer to avoid the morning rush, while 16 percent identify as Black Friday Weekend Shoppers. Seven percent of the people polled will strictly visit for the entertainment experience.
If you are keeping track, the last 9 percent of those tallied plan to skip the crowds altogether in favor of shopping online. Most MOA shoppers mirror national trends with 49 percent mixing in-store with online shopping, while 42 percent focus on in-person shopping. What further differentiates MOA from virtually every top mall is that over 40 percent of MOA’s visitors travel from beyond the Twin Cities area.
What’s New?
Renslow reported that over twenty new national brands have debuted since last holiday season. They span retail, restaurant, entertainment, and family-focused activities. The newest is the CoComelon Playdate, spanning nearly 10,000 square feet. CoComelon, is an offshoot of the hugely popular and strangely catchy children’s series. It includes a two-story play structure, imaginative play buildings, and free play zones. It blends the best of a hands-on children’s museum with immersive play areas.
MOA has always been a risk-taker and rule-breaker when it comes to capturing the public’s imagination and driving foot traffic. It has prided itself on co-creating often one of a kind experiential features to appeal to its broad visitor demographic, which has helped to differentiate them. Many of the Mall’s signature attractions are Internationally based, often making their U. S. premier at MOA.
Unique, Mind-Bending Experiences
Among my personal favs are The Museum of Illusions, which originated in Zagreb, Croatia in 2015. It premiered at MOA last summer and is now part of an international group of over forty-three installations around the globe. It features over seventy mind-bending exhibits with interactive components. Another personal favorite is Wink World, billed as an immersive art exhibit, where “psychedelic art house meets carnival funhouse.” Its founder, Chris Wink was one of three co-creators of Blue Man Group. The overall experience is Cirque du Soleil meets George Lucas, with a little Ringling Brothers thrown in for good measure.
From the Climb Zone to Crayola Experience, The Lego Store to the Fair on 4 (ax throwing anyone?), there are a constantly changing array of one-of-a kind, immersive and experience designed to enrich the MOA experience as well as extend the visit.
Popping Up
Pop-Ups have long been a MOA attraction. Rent the Runway has returned for another incredible pop-up style sample sale, facilitated and operated by MOA staff. Renowned Minnesota artist and long-time friend of MOA, Adam Turman, has brought his first-ever retail space to Mall of America with a variety of art and merchandise.
Throughout Mall of America’s history it has been a launchpad for retail start-ups. With its long commitment to supporting local artisans and retail entrepreneurs MOA created “Fourpost,” in November 2018. That Retail-as-a-Service (RaaS) concept was a unique collective of kiosk-like product presentations operated by the mall. It provided start-ups and digitally native brands with unprecedented international exposure at a nominal cost.
This Black Friday marks the opening of the latest in MOA’s quest to think big AND act small, with the launch of the Minneapolis Craft Market, a pop-up marketplace. It will feature more than thirty unique vendors and local designers; some even offering one-off personalization. The Minnesota Craft Market will be open every Saturday and Sunday until December 22, and is only one of many retailers who will be part of the Small Business Saturday event on November 30th.
