A comparative investigation into the changing use of shopping malls in Germany and South Africa

Abstract

Based on the decline in development of new, and use of existing, shopping malls that is happening in the USA due mainly, it seems, to e-shopping, a comparative study was conducted to investigate perceptions of shopping malls and their use in Germany (a developed country) and South Africa (a developing country). Are attitudes towards mall shopping changing, or are there other factors influencing changes in mall shopping, e.g. increase in e-shopping, lack of security (especially effect of crime in South Africa), preference for localised shopping, etc.?A questionnaire was developed from the literature and distributed via e-mail to a comprehensive database of consumers, collecting a pre-set, socio-demographic quota sample from the defined target groups. The resultant data was analysed using relevant descriptive, inferential and multivariate statistics to identify the importance of the various factors.The main finding was that South African consumers are increasingly using shopping malls, whereas German consumers are using malls slightly less than they did 2 to 3 years ago. South Africans would like to see better entertainment and unique experiences in malls, while Germans would like to see malls developing a stronger identity, integrating themselves more into their communities and acting for the good of the community they serve.

The Social Dimension of Shopping Centres in South Africa

“…Aceska & Heer (2019), in their study of Greenstone Mall Johannesburg, South Africa and Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina shopping centres, resolved that shopping centres are places of encounter (meeting places). Mason et al (2019), in their study in South Africa, maintain that South Africans visit shopping centres as places of "entertainment (eating, socialising, movies) and places to shop for the full range of products, as well as "pleasant, social gathering places." The factors above result in consumers shopping for economic, social, and recreational purposes.…”

“…In South Africa, consumers from Alexandra in Ekurhuleni frequently visit shopping centres over the weekend, mostly on Saturdays, with romantic partners or friends as leisure destinations (Aceska & Heer, 2019). Mason et al (2019) argue that South Africans visit shopping centres more frequently (once a week or more). From the review above, shoppers who visit shopping centres once a week and more patronise the centres not only for buying goods but also for entertainment and leisure, and they do so over the weekend.…”

“…Literature concentration on shopping centres in South Africa in the last five years focused on metropolitan areas and analysed the return on investment, traffic congestion, and the socio-economic impact of shopping centres (Dlamini & Cloete, 2021;Hawkins-Mofokeng, Tlapana & Ssemugooma, 2022;Van Niekerk & Cloete, 2020). Only Aceska & Heer (2019) and Mason et al (2019) studied the social aspect of the centres in urban areas. The limited empirical research about the social aspect of shopping centres in South Africa has created a knowledge gap that calls for evidencebased research to address the neglected subject area -the social aspect of shopping centres and shoppers accompanied by shopping companions.…”

An Evaluation of the Relationship Between Spatial Form and Transport Mode in Elim, South Africa

“…The study is significant because a few studies examine the relationship between transportation and land use in locations outside the main cities in South Africa. Most studies focus on the country's leading cities, adjacent townships, and suburbs (Strydom, 2013;Mashaba & Wiese, 2016;Makgopa, 2016;Mason et al, 2019). Hence, they need to pay more attention to the medium and small towns in the outer areas regardless of their role in national economic development and counter-urbanization.…”

Enhancing Shoppers’ Experiences and Building Mall Loyalty: The Role of Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI) and Management Dimension-Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta Region of China

“…Over the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the closure of shopping malls, leading to discussions of the phenomenon of "dead shopping malls" or declining shopping malls [1]. The rapid increase in distressed shopping malls is becoming a global problem [2,3]. According to Retailnext, since January 2015, the average shopping mall traffic in the United States has decreased by 9.1%.…”