Why Thon shopping centres are investing in experiences

"Something that our customers request"

"We are investing even more in experiences like cafés, eateries, cinemas and bowling," says Thomas E. Rønning, head of the shopping centre division in the Olav Thon Group.

This division works continuously to adapt the composition of shops at its shopping centres in line with market trends.

"Health is another important focus area for us. The fitness centres, clinics and other health & wellness facilities are something that our customers have requested and enjoy the convenience they offer at a shopping centre," says Thomas.

Three shopping centres share their experiences

The Vestkanten Storsenter and Sartor Storsenter in Bergen, as well as the AMFI Madla in Stavanger, are among the centres that have the largest number of tenants and partners who offer both experiences and health & wellness services.

They share their experiences in this article.

Take a break from shopping with a ride down Norway's longest water slide

Badelandet Vannkanten at the Vestkanten Storsenter opened back in 2000. According to Centre Manager Rolf Tvedte, they have a long-term experience strategy and have invested over many years in offering customers activities and experiences at the centre.

"We need to facilitate the shopping centre as a social meeting place where people come to not only shop, but also spend time. At the end of the day, it's a strategy that strives to get everyone who enjoys our activities to also do some shopping, and vice versa," says Rolf.

In 2016, they opened Norway's longest water slide. Other experiences offered are bowling, indoor miniature golf and curling.

"More and more shopping centres are developing new concepts, so it is essential for us to continuously add new experiences. That's one of the reasons why we created Norway's longest water slide. The competition is fierce and we need to always stay one step ahead to ensure the best customer experience," claims the manager of the centre and water park.

"It's nice to have everything under one roof"

Sartor Storsenter has invested in experiences for several years now, including late night shopping with concerts and theatre groups for children and young people. They continuously announce new activities on their website.

"A new development in recent years is that we're investing in tenants that offer entertainment and activities," says Centre Manager Thomas Skålnes.

The centre manager of AMFI Madla, Anette Worum, also believes it is important to make the shopping centre a place where you can get things checked off your to-do list. 

She lists everything from a library and fitness centre to a bicycle repair shop and various wellness services like massages, skincare and therapists. The centre even has a healer.

"Customers today have a packed schedule and want to get as much done as in as little time as possible. So, it's nice to have everything under one roof," she says.

Eight out of ten people combine shopping with activities

All three centre managers have experienced that offering a range of experiences attracts everyone from families to pensioners to the centres, and that customers spend more time there.

According to Rolf from the Vestkanten Storsenter, it's clear that experiences are most popular among families, but they offer something for everyone, from bowling to spa facilities.

"Bowling teams from different districts are ready to go the moment the bowling lanes open at 11 in the morning and pensioners get together four days a week at 9 am to swim," says Tvedte.

The wide range of entertainment options and experiences also makes the centre popular beyond the local community. The centre offers various experiences that attract customers, also from other districts. 

"A survey we conducted shows that as many as eight out of ten people who take advantage of our activities also shop at the centre. This clearly shows what it takes to create a successful shopping centre," adds Tvedte.

"We see that people spend more time at the centre."

Intense efforts are currently being directed towards the development of new entertainment concepts for Thon shopping centres, especially as part of larger development projects.

The cinema market is growing and will become an integral part of more and more centres. Norway's largest cinema, Odeon, opened in the spring of 2018 and is right next door to the Storo Storsenter.

Thomas from Sartor also noticed a significant effect after a cinema opened at the centre in 2015.

"We see that people spend more time at the centre, often combining a trip to the cinema with a meal at one of the centre's eateries and shopping. We've noticed an increase in both the use of the centre and sales figures," he says.

Meeting customer needs

The centre managers agree that the recipe for success lies in meeting customer needs and identifying the types of experiences they want at the centres.