Wall Street Journal Article
Excerpts By Thomas Luek
Staff Reporter Wall Street Journal

In Mall Game Show

CHICAGO - Retailers in the well-heeled suburb of Northbrook came up with what seemed the perfect promotional event. It would get a lot of attention, stimulate sagging sales and help a worthwhile charity.

The idea created by Game Show Host Joel Langer. For a period of 30 days shoppers at the 136 store Northbrook Court shopping mall would get dollar for dollar in game show money. They would then have the opportunity to bid and win terrific prizes given by the merchants and outside participants at the live game show.

When the dust had cleared, retailers were hailing a "spectacular triumphant success" that had raised sales during the promotional period by 30%.

Game Show night made it clear to the shopping center that the idea intrigued the citizenry. Some 3500 people showed up with an accumulated $750,000 of game show money. A customer Thomas Johnson did pretty well too he bought $10,000 worth of clothing (including a fur coat for his fiancé to accumulate the free dollars.

By Doug Weatherwax

Bidding for more Business

When you think of shopping center promotions you think of antique and car shows, jazz bands and singing scouts. All of this is fine, and in fact, probably eessential to establising identity in the community and generating a steady flow of foot traffic through the halls of your average mall. But does it really sell bedroom sets, swimsuits, or a gold watch? Probably not, at least in a direct sort of way. The best you could hope for is that people will stand and watch the Von Steuben Glockenspiel Players and remember to come back when you need to replace your garden hose.

Suzanne Snow marketing director of promotions for a shopping center in Waukegan figures that the mall is already "well placed in the center of the community." A constant turnover of community events and exhibits brings a steady stream of people to the mall-so much so that this year Snow boosted the shopping centers slogan from "Livelier Place" to "The Center of Everything" But getting buyers into the stores is another matter.

"I wanted to do something to put them inside" said Snow. "We're not here to entertain, we are here to sell. But we're here to sell in an entertaining way. You have to give people a reason to come to your center. Shopping centers are one of the most competitive business alive. A shoe store is after all a shoe store.

So now for something different. The brainchild of Joel Langer, the "Shopping Spree Spectacular" appeals to the buying customers and could not be more direct: Cash spent means cash value returned. From April 2 through May 8, dollars spent at any of 125 stores were redeemed for Game Show Dollars to be used at the show to bid on jewelry, clothing, dining certificates and even a trip to Mexico. "The cooperation from the merchants has been fabulous," said Snow, "They are really excited and sometimes it's hard to get the merchants excited over anything." To inform the public, the center waged a newspaper, magazine and radio advertising campaign to get the world out. The results speak for themselves: 3000 people were on hand for the live show and it generated a total increase of 29% during the same period last year.