Cinemas, KTVs, and game centers were once regarded as the standard business formats in all-scaled shopping centers. They are helpful to attract customers and stimulate them to spend more time in shopping centers; however, all of these activities may take a lot of time. Actually, the shareable passenger flow and the joint expenditure are not as high as expected. As more and more consumers are those born in the 1980s and 90s, consumptive habits are very different. As a result, KTV is basically out and cinema as well as game centers are no longer novel attractions in shopping centers. For the new generation of consumers, they are more likely to go after an experience format. New technologies coming out allow the amusement industry to welcome a big transition. Under this background, a new type of amusement format focusing on 'experiencing' has developed rapidly and becomes a new favorite in shopping centers. In 2017, a year of developing the children's sport experience industry, the products and users of this industry have increased in the main and the experiencing hall is increasing with a speed of 100% every year.
This format has become a new major force in children's business. According to the 13th Five-year Plan of the Sport Industrial Development released by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2016, by 2020, the total scale of the sports industry will reach 3 trillion RMB, the industrial added value proportion in terms of GDP will be about 1%, the added value of the sports service industry will account for more than 30%, and the amount of sports consumption will account for more than2.5% of per capita disposable income. The emergence of sports experiencing halls has illuminated sports consumption in China. Sport halls with a strong sense of participation, high-tech theme parks, and experiencing halls have become the main format for shopping centers to solicit new business. And, racetracks, equestrian training grounds, basketball courts, archery ranges, trampolines, fencing, skiing, squash halls, and bowling alleys have become new elements. All of these popular halls play effective roles in the economic development of surrounding areas. This kind of format is much more challenging and interesting for the young. Indoor science fiction amusement parks, 3D experiencing halls, children amusement theme parks, science & technology experiencing halls, indoor new amusement collection shops, indoor zoos, and forest exploratoriums are the main forces to attract customers in shopping centers.
2016 was the year of developing VR experiencing halls, which are the standard equipment for shopping centers to create new experiences. Because of the preferences of white-collar workers, takagism and haunted houses, with various scaled theme rooms, detailed scenarios, and thrilling experiences, are increasingly entering into shopping centers. Currently, these have been two of the most profitable businesses in shopping centers. All in all, with the change of consumption patterns, a new-type of amusement experiencing format is gradually becoming a new tool to gather consumers. Those born in the 1980s and 90s who pursue quality and fashion are now the main consumers. Therefore creating novel experiences and searching high-tech amusement products are the urgent tasks for shopping centres in order to upgrade.
※The article is published in the GTI Magazine Issue No. 163 in April 2018
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