In the age of online shopping, I’m always happy to hear of any ideas that might keep shopping malls alive. Maybe you just have to be of a certain age, but the mall–any mall–used to be the place to be. Then all the record shops died, and the toy stores, and the weird novelty gift places…nowadays, you’re lucky to get one decent clothing store and a food court.
So, via Mashable, bless the Colonie Center of Albany, New York, for bringing in a whole new customer base with the installation of a real, human-scale Pokemon Go arena, courtesy of Digital Xpress. And kudos to the mall marketing team for putting out such business-enhancing suggestions as “Place a lure module at the Regal Cinemas Pokestop while you’re dining in the Food Court. Enjoy lunch while the Pokemon come to you!” and “Pick up an MVP walking map of Colonie Center at Guest Services and get in your exercise while you hatch an egg & catch Pokemon!”
Get your exercise in, eh? How come we never thought of that as an excuse as kids? “Mom, you’ve got to let me go to the mall so I can get my exercise in! And I need twenty bucks for, um, exercise enhancement!”
If Kevin Smith‘s Mallrats sequel doesn’t involve Pokemon Go, he will have missed a massive opportunity. Presumably his daughter Harley will clue him in, as the odds she’s not playing it strike me as being close to zero.
Are you ready to Pokemon Go to the mall? What other innovations could lure you away from Amazon and into the climate-controlled land of food courts and fun? Help a poor struggling business out with your comments below.
Featured image: Colonie Center/Facebook
