The market has changed drastically with the advent of e-commerce platforms and a general mentality of staying indoors. This has pushed marketing departments of malls and retail stores into overdrive, thinking of ways to attract customers and retain this attention.
The holiday season presents itself as a wonderful opportunity for this very task. Online shopping has convenience going for it, but going to a mall during the holiday season is an experience, especially when compared to any other season. The warm glowing lights, scent of pine and cinnamon, and the carefully arranged displays invoke a sense of excitement and nostalgia.
This isn’t surprising—it is all on purpose. Malls and retail stores invest heavily in seasonal decor to shape customer behavior, increase dwell time, and encourage spending. From grand commercial Christmas trees to strategic lighting choices, every detail is meticulously thought out and serves a purpose.
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The Psychology Behind Seasonal Decor
People are emotionally driven beings, especially when they shop during the festive season. It is the time for love, family, and friends; people are often found shopping for others. According to research published in the Journal of Consumer Research, holiday-themed decorations can increase customer engagement, making them more likely to browse longer and make impulse purchases. Malls and stores bank on this by transforming their spaces with everything from commercial Christmas trees, oversized ornaments, and garlands to themed windows—whatever contributes to the festive mood.
Remember, what in-person shopping has over online shopping—its trump card—is making shopping feel like an experience/activity rather than just another transaction.
How Is the Experience Improved… Actually?
Let’s get to the meat of the matter. How does seasonal decor actually help boost the customer experience? Well, here are a few real-world examples:
Sustainability Is the New (and Needed) Trend
Jumping on trends is important for every business in this modern, shorter-attention-span world we live in. Trends present themselves as massive opportunities one can hop upon. However, some things go beyond their trend status. Sustainability is one such case. It is no longer a trend but a much-needed change corporations need to make. The best thing about it is that people notice it. For example, a beautifully decorated commercial Christmas tree is often the focal point of a mall’s holiday decor, and what matters here is the fact that it is lit up using LED Christmas lights.
The debate over LED vs. incandescent Christmas lights has been settled with sheer numbers. LEDs consume 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer. Also, they come in a wider variety of colors and programmable settings, making it easier to customize them. The modern-day consumer is absolutely repulsed by outdated, unnecessary power-consuming incandescent bulbs.
Social Media Craze
We stated above how the internet, to a major extent, hurt the sales of malls and retail stores. However, the internet is merely a tool, and a tool isn’t good or bad. It all boils down to how one uses it. Social media platforms present themselves as arguably one of the best ways of reaching people.
A retail store can use things like hashtags, influencer marketing, and even offer discount coupons to customers that put their store on their stories. There is a 250% ROI on social media campaigns, which is a number too big to deny or ignore. This is one bandwagon you should get on.
Brand Image and Festivity Integration
It isn’t ideal to go all-in on festive decorations to the extent that a store fails to easily convey its brand identity. Look at the giants for references. McDonald’s, Starbucks, etc., heavily invest in decoration during the holiday season, but they blend their brand image with it instead of letting one overpower the other. That is the key to making a customer remember the decorations set up by a brand; otherwise, it doesn’t leave an impression and simply fades into the sea of festive lights.
Conclusion
To summarize it all and put it inside a tiny nutshell, sell your customers an experience. The holiday season brings about issues in the supply chain, but it also presents itself as an opportunity wherein all physical stores can do what online stores are yet to even come close to—selling an experience and evoking a sense of nostalgia. The festive lights and Christmas trees, paired with your brand’s identity blended into a perfect concoction of decor, massively boost the customer experience and thus increase customer engagement simultaneously.
For malls and stores, investing in high-quality seasonal decor is not just about spreading holiday cheer—it’s about enhancing the shopping journey, building brand loyalty, and ultimately driving sales. When done right, holiday decorations turn ordinary retail spaces into magical, unforgettable destinations.
