sales promotion & events
GIFT CARD PROMOTION STICKS TO TRADITION AND SELLS OUT
CORE celebrates Chinese New Year bigger and better
Following a hugely successful gift card promotion to celebrate the Chinese New Year in 2017 , this year , CORE shopping center ( Calgary , Canada ) expanded its promotion into a full-blown shopping weekend . Offering live entertainment , cultural performances , and authentic experiences , the shopping center worked closely with Holt Renfrew , one of its anchor stores , to create a memorable shopping experience in mid-February .
In addition to noontime entertainment on Friday , Saturday , and Sunday — picture lion dancing , a local violinist , and a Chinese orchestra , respectively — the CORE and host Caffe Trieste invited visitors to take part in a traditional tea service . Having extended its partnership with the Calgary Zoo , the center organized the tea pouring as a soft launch to raise funds to support the arrival of the pandas this spring .
While all scheduled activities took place on the second floor of the CORE , just outside of Holt Renfrew , other retailers hosted exclusive Chinese New Year promotions to help increase traffic , drive sales , and extend dwell time . Inside the anchor store , shoppers could participate in traditional Chinese knotting and calligraphy .
Keeping in mind its short walking distance from Chinatown and a growing Asian demographic , the CORE team also looked to increase sales for its anchor and high-end retailers , strengthen its connection with Calgary ’ s Asian community , and show enthusiasm for the holiday . As a bonus , with the opening of another high-end retailer in the city , the center strategically aligned the event to remind Calgarians of all that Holt Renfrew had to offer .
“ The CORE is located downtown and Calgary has a quadrant culture , meaning that Monday to Friday Calgarians commute to downtown for work and of course spend time [ at the center ]. Saturdays and Sundays are , however , a challenge . Calgarians retreat to their suburbs and shop at their [ local ] mall , so we are always trying to create innovative and fun programs that will bring shoppers back downtown on weekends ,” explained Allison Onyett , CORE ’ s marketing director .
Maintaining a deep sense of community within the CORE , the center and Holt Renfrew worked hand-in-hand to plan and promote the event series , traded marketing materials , and executed supporting activations . Advertising at both the macro and micro levels , the CORE promoted the retailers ’ event schedules with in-studio segments on Global TV and Breakfast TV .
“ For CTV we did a live remote and Holt Renfrew allowed us to shoot one of the four segments from within [ its ] location and speak on air about [ its ] events in-store that coming weekend . We also ensured that any retailer hosting a specific sale or promotion for Chinese New Year was featured on our website and social media ,” Onyett said .
Beyond the tea and tradition , the most popular driver of sales and traffic was the CORE ’ s gift card promotion . Based on the most favored number , eight , which in China is associated with luck and wealth , for every C $ 800 purchased , the shopper received an additional C $ 88 . With end-toend line-ups , packed parking lots , and greater in-center activity , public response was more than expected . Gift cards sold out within one hour on Friday . Afterwards , additional funding was approved for Saturday with the same effect . In total , the CORE sold C $ 193,857 ( US $ 150,925 ) in gift cards . “ Traffic for the weekend was up 25 percent ( up 17 percent for the month ) and initial sales reports are showing that on average CORE retailers were up 23 percent in sales , with major anchors being up as much as 38 percent ,” added Onyett .
Due to strong relationships with community partners , local media and in-center retailers , the CORE achieved its goals and exceeded its targets .
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