What a week! Kudos to everyone that has been heads down, trying to make the best of our unprecedented situation. Shopping center people are indeed a special breed. If we have learned anything from this situation, it is that working together and being creative will see us through.
Restaurants and stores with curbside pick-up and/or delivery services are still doing business, and supporting them has been, and will continue to be, mission critical for us all (keep an eye open for more on that next week).
Until then, we hope these examples of what others are doing to make things better will inspire your own creative ideas.
TENANT SUPPORT
Restaurants Offering Take-Out, Curbside, Delivery
If your restaurants aren’t already partnering with food delivery services like GrubHub, DoorDash, Postmates, or Uber Eats, now would be a great time for them to try these services out. Most have temporarily waived or reduced fees for independent restaurants.
Use a section of your parking lot as a curbside pickup area for restaurants without delivery.
Other Retailers
Do you have merchants offering online classes or activities?
A gym or yoga studio? Music or Dance lessons? Cooking classes?
Encourage people who can, to support the stores and restaurants they love by buying gift cards today for use in the future.
Keep your customers entertained with online contests, and support your stores by awarding merchant gift cards as prizes.
Community Support
Post fun & educational activities for families, craft project videos, printable coloring sheets, or card games.
Create a tribute to the medical heroes in your community or offer a simple thank you for their service.
Share information on how people can help others in your community with services such as Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, and local food banks.
Open Air Centers: Consider keeping your property open (if it is deemed safe) to the public as a facility to enjoy the outdoors.
Host a free drive-in movie for families in your parking lot.
Share contact information for government officials so your community can show their support for small business and retail workers.
Host an online sing-a-long concert.
We hope these examples help to spark inspiration on how your center can remain an integral component in your community during this time. If you should need assistance, or if you have a unique situation or request, please reach out to your account support representative directly.
