Parking lot mall events are a band-aid trying to cover an underlying problem. If that’s the strategy to revive/save malls, time to kiss malls goodbye.

Festivals don’t change the fundamentals of retail and the fundamentals (in an e-commerce world) are what is killing malls.

Yes, they should. The more local, the better. Malls are the epitome of a “sea of sameness.” You can’t tell if you’re in Dallas or Boston when you stroll through one. If the stores are going to be basically the same, then the environment has to feel local. Someone told me yesterday that an entire wing of the Aventura Mall is going to have stages, food and events put on by local schools. It still won’t get me through the traffic, but I’m sure a lot of others will go there!

While I like this idea (and have attended several of these events myself), weekend events won’t solve any underlying problems for malls. I’m not sure how many people who attend these parking lot events actually go inside to shop. And the crowds could deter actual shoppers. The real challenge is translating these festivalgoers into not only revenue for the mall operator, but also for the retailers.

On the surface, I think the idea of using mall parking lots to create excitement is a good one. However, malls as we know them today are threatened by forces that cannot be remedied by parking lot events that have no real connection to the retailers inside the mall.

On the other hand, supermarkets could better use their massive parking lots to tie into their inside operations. For example in a dedicated part of the parking lot, offer a corn on the cob eating contest, a fresh crab boil, a weekly farmer’s market, a space for dog groomers to do their thing, etc. The key is to use this space to create the noted excitement as well as drive customers into the store. These operators don’t need carnivals, car shows or concerts. Instead make it focused and relevant to the stores’ brand and operations.

I’d be more excited if the events listed had anything to do with the mall’s stores. Sure, they’re utilizing parking lot space, but I’m not sure how such events are going to help mall retailers make sales.

What if the malls utilized carnival events and festivals to promote inventory that can be found within the mall’s stores? Can consumers play for insane discounts or gift baskets? With a little creativity and forward thinking parking lot events could be a bigger draw for mall traffic.

When I was just starting out and the fax machine was cutting-edge, I worked in malls. Gradually they started adding “craft festivals” and all kinds of temporary kiosks into the hallways. This made it particularly tough to navigate on busy weekends and meant more people looked to get around things than looked at retailers. Eventually, they realized these were distractions and they were discontinued.

I would say parking lot events are the same. You don’t get people to malls in spite of the retailers – it has to be synergistic.

As we heard on the news this morning, a proposed “tax cut” isn’t the same as “tax reform.” Lousy metaphor maybe, but using the parking lot for events isn’t the same as reforming the mall.

Why exactly do we want to put the mall on life-support? Maybe it’s past its “best before” date. If I were given a mall to do with as I wished, I’d turn it into the mother of all vertical farming operations.

Malls definitely need to find creative ways to bring more consumers to their locations and compelling events will certainly help. The key will be how effectively the individual retailers capitalize on the semi-captive audience in close proximity. Whether it’s flyers with coupons or mobile alerts with special promotions, retailers need to offer event attendees something compelling to visit their store. The key here is to know the customer. The Natick Mall in Massachusetts recently added a Tesla dealership … people are lined up to make deposits. They understand their customer base.

The only potential down-side to special events at malls that I see is increased traffic and congestion that may annoy customers that are coming to the mall for a real shopping trip. It could potentially drive some paying customers away. However, the benefits of increased foot traffic and potential sales should offset the traffic congestion.

Let’s see, it’s ok to have a “pick up from online” outside a store where a customer never enters the (mall) store, but getting people to the parking lot of a mall to go shopping isn’t ok? As long as the products offered in the parking lot support the tenants and don’t compete, then why not? It’s just a sidewalk sale move a little bit outside … if it doesn’t support the tenants, than I’d say the mall operator is being short sighted.

Lisa Harper of CBI says it perfectly: “Events brings that additional traffic and also encourage people to stick around longer.” More traffic on the parking lot is good (as long as it doesn’t create a hassle for regular “mall goers.” Someone once said, “The rising tide lifts all boats.” More traffic on the parking lot can mean more traffic in the mall.

Entertainment and dining events external to the mall itself will generate more traffic and surely stimulate impromptu visits by consumers passing by the mall property.

Some restaurant tenants in the mall may have competitive concerns, but if the mall property managers are thoughtful about selecting vendors for the outside events, all activities can be viewed as complementary, not competitive.

Some successful malls have an existing parking problem, i.e. the space available on a given day may be very limited to stage an outside event. Maybe there is self-selection at work. If parking is widely available, it may be an indicator of slow traffic and sections of the parking lot can be identified for these “fun” events.

Organizing events in a series or linking them together under a specific theme, may generate repeat visits from interested consumers.

Why not? Leverage every asset.

If the stores don’t pull people on to the property then find someone/something that will.

We can solve structural issues only by creating a new construct.