In the face of reshuffle and challenges, can catering companies and shopping malls work together for a win-win situation?

As early as 10 years ago, people went to shopping malls mostly for shopping, watching movies, and catering for a small proportion.

Consumption patterns are changing, and so are brand merchants.

Early catering entered the mall as a supplement

In the early stage of the layout of traditional shopping malls, the layout of the catering industry is only a supplement to the shopping malls

Usually, gold and cosmetics are on the first floor, women's clothing on the second and third floors, men's clothing on the fourth floor, sportswear on the fifth floor, and supermarkets and restaurants on the ground floor

In the early days, it was difficult for catering merchants to enter the mall.

However, in recent years, this trend has changed, and shopping malls that were once high on the list have begun to embrace catering companies

Shopping mall vacancy rates continue to rise

The fundamental reason for the transformation of shopping malls and catering enterprises is that the vacancy rate of shopping malls continues to rise to new highs

Data show that since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in 2020, the average vacancy rate of shopping malls in many places has exceeded the industry-recognized warning line by 20%.

However, the rise in the vacancy rate of shopping malls is not something unique to the epidemic.

　　In the first- and second-tier cities, you can often see one or two large shopping malls on the same street, and there is another shopping mall across the street.

　　In this case, there is a mantra in the industry that "the business format is not enough for catering

　　Many shopping malls have begun to take catering investment as an important part

　　However, when a large number of catering brands entered the shopping mall, the situation of more monks and less porridge caused more catering businesses to fall into a dilemma again

　　Catering brands need to be rational when entering shopping malls

　　Many catering people will ask, is it a good time for catering brands to enter the mall? Consider the following features first

　　First of all, catering has a longer lease period than other formats, generally 5-8 years, and the growth rate is reasonable during the contract period, generally not more than 3% per year

　　Secondly, catering brands are becoming more and more abundant in shopping malls, but the area of ​​a single store has been reduced, and there are almost no large stores exceeding 500 square meters

　　Thirdly, the catering operation model is relatively simple, and the cash flow is fast.
It is usually the fastest way to attract investment and activate in the entire shopping mall, and the cultivation time is short
.

　　Even so, catering is not an easy industry to do, on the contrary it is very difficult to do
.
Now that catering investment has become an important part of shopping malls, how should shopping malls promote the development of the catering industry?

　　According to industry insiders, the management model of shopping malls at this stage also has two characteristics: First, the marketing plan of shopping malls is lacking
.
Catering brands entered the shopping mall and paid the admission fee and rent.
It is necessary for the shopping mall as the lessee to help the brand to promote it
.

　　Every major holiday, there will be activities in the mall, but all the year round, the coupons are distributed in a process style, and the activities where the coupons are full and discounted are lacking in innovation
.

　　Shopping malls should actively introduce cross-border cooperation activities and cultural industry activities.
Some shopping malls in Shenzhen have begun to introduce pop-up exhibitions of big brands.
Weekend markets are open outside shopping malls, which not only enhances the cultural attributes of shopping malls, but also brings a large number of people.
When this batch of people flow is converted to catering, it is necessary to display more brands at the entrance of each floor of the shopping mall and electronic screens
.

　　Second, the professionalism of the investment promotion team is weak
.
For catering, the lack of professionalism in shopping mall investment is reflected in the inability to rationally control the number of categories
.

　　Usually the opening of a shopping mall will blindly throw olive branches to big brands, and often give large subsidies and lower rents, but sometimes there are hidden "entry fees" for small brands
.

　　On the other hand, the same shopping mall attracts many grilled fish restaurants, hot pot restaurants, etc.
, which is almost equivalent to letting similar owners fight each other in the existing shopping mall passenger flow.
The two are either to suppress prices or reduce the cost of raw materials.
It's not a good thing to say
.

　　Various measures to promote the common development of shopping malls and restaurants

　　Looking at the future of shopping malls, from the data that 81% of consumers go to shopping malls for catering, it can be seen that shopping malls are currently highly dependent on catering drainage to stimulate consumption
.

　　Although the rise of take-out platforms and the growing popularity of buying prepared ingredients to cook at home, shopping mall catering will still be the main battlefield of the catering industry for a long time to come
.

　　However, the incremental era of blindly seeking quantity has passed.
In order to stand out, shopping mall catering should find its own differentiation.
The shopping mall operators should not only do business in the market, but need to slow down and think about how to empower catering merchants
.

　　Catering merchants and shopping malls are actually a relationship of mutual achievement.
Shopping malls can promote the development of catering merchants through various marketing methods.
If the business of catering merchants is good, they will naturally attract more people to the mall and drive the popularity of the mall
.

　　Industry insiders said that, on the one hand, commercial entities should pay attention to the fact that the format of indoor themed commercial blocks is another major new trend in domestic shopping malls
.
The introduction of themed commercial streets will help to create a unique highlight of the shopping center, increase the passenger flow in the venue, prolong the time spent by consumers, and create a topic of the project
.
On the other hand, the scene-based space does not generate direct consumption, but it will be a social media communication highlight and business card that attracts customers to check in.
It is an extension of traditional business formats and has huge potential for consumption transformation
.

　　At the same time, when the shopping mall is newly built or renovated in the future, it must be laid out in advance in terms of hardware and design
.
For example, in terms of hardware, it is necessary to consider the conditions of special properties; in terms of space, it is necessary to excavate the social attributes and interactivity of public spaces; in terms of design, it is necessary to pay more attention to the creation of scene-based and themed spaces; in terms of investment promotion, retail The business format is no longer the chief drainage officer, and it is necessary to pay attention to innovative experience-based business format brands; in terms of customer groups, we must see the trend of younger urban families and more and more unique youth, and create a child-friendly shopping environment
.

　　(Arts Comprehensive)

      "China Food News" (March 30, 2021 06 edition)

(Editor-in-charge: Wang Ning)