Critical Studies Essay
A shopping mall can be classified as a “mercantile establishment consisting of a carefully landscaped complex of shops representing leading merchandisers and usually includes restaurants and a convenient parking area.” (wordnetweb, 2008) This essay shall discuss the different techniques used by the V and A Waterfront Shopping centre in Cape Town and Sandton City in Johannesburg to fulfil their main objective of maximising consumption and therefore profits. These techniques shall be examined in terms of each mall being described as a Pseudo-public space, a liminal space and a location that “aims to trap the consumer in a world of consumption.” (Goss, 1993: 32) Conclusion will further aim to illustrate that although the malls goals are the same, their strategies and techniques differ due to their geographical location.
A public space relates to an area where any individual is allowed to go, for example a park, town squares or the streets. These spaces have no economic or social restrictions whereby people can be removed. (new world encyclopaedia, 2008) A private space on the other hand relates to an area that has been specifically designed for the “exclusive use of its occupants” and therefore, people without the rights to be there can be removed. (planning support, 2008) Shopping malls, which are deceivingly seen as public spaces due to the diversity of individuals who enter, are in fact examples of privatized places, allowing anyone behaving in the wrong manner to be officially removed by the many security guards patrolling the area, hence the common use of legal terms expressed such as rights of admission reserved. This perception of a shopping mall being a public space is hugely important to the success of the mall “as they aim to offer middle class citizens a third place beyond home and work , a venue where people, old and young, can congregate and commune.” (Goss, 1993: 25) The malls are therefore termed Pseudo-public spaces, meaning they appear to be public on one level but on another they portray many elements of a private space. (Besser, 2001)
In order to create a Pseudo-public space and therefore make the malls seemingly public, certain techniques are used. This is evident in both the V and A Waterfront and Sandton City. These techniques relate to the conveniences provided by the government that are situated in public spaces in order to make everyone’s lives easier and more comfortable. For example in both the Waterfront mall and Sandton city we see benches along the isles. These benches meet the needs of the customers and allow them to have a rest when shopping showing the mall is “sensitive to the needs of the shopper.”(Goss, 1993: 26) Along with this there are facilities for the handicapped, such as bathrooms, and in Sandton city there are toy car trolleys for entertaining the children of shoppers and therefore facilitating them in having a more enjoyable shopping experience. Public phone booths are seen in both the malls and at Sandton City there is a public library which is another government service that constitutes as a public space. The appearance of security at both the malls is another feature that makes a customer more comfortable when shopping as they are reassured that “the unseemly and seamy side of the real public world will be excluded from the mall.” (Goss, 1993: 27) While many of these public goods and services are placed in order to create the feel of a public space, some are reluctantly placed as they are not “consistent with the context of consumption,” (Goss, 1993: 26) which is the main objective of a shopping mall.
In order to meet the main objective of a mall which, as said above, is consumption, designers work to create a Liminal space; “Liminality is experienced in the nostalgic mode, without the inherent danger of the real thing.”(Goss, 1993: 28) With this in mind, the mall will intentionally create any form of entertainment or tourist attraction in order to attract and prolong the stay of its customer and therefore increase their consumption levels. This is evident in Sandton city where the formally known Sandton Square has been renamed as the Nelson Mandela square. Here, a gargantuan statue of Nelson Mandela stands, attracting tourists from around the world, who will more than likely have a meal at one of the many exclusive restaurants surrounding this square and therefore increasing the consumption taking place at the mall. Too add to this, there is a hotel attached to Sandton City mall making Sandton City the tourists’ first choice for shopping and consumption purely due to convenience. The movie theatres and the festive displays during Easter or Christmas, both situated toward the centre of Sandton City forcing customers to be tempted to spend when walking past the other shops, are more examples of the techniques used in order to extend the stay of the mall’s customers.
Liminality is experienced at the waterfront through the African boot dancing, singing and drumming shows done at certain times during the day. Here, adding to the theme of the waterfront, tourists can truly experience the feel of Africa within the security of a shopping mall and therefore don’t need to explore the more dangerous parts of rural Africa. This form of entertainment also assists in prolonging the stay of customers which in turn increases the levels of consumption. The two African themed craft markets are another form of liminal space as tourists are able to view and buy African products again in the safety of the shopping centre. These craft markets are another element attracting tourists to the Waterfront which in turn assists the aim of maximum consumption. With added features such as the many hotels surrounding the Waterfront, tours to Robben Island, city bus tour departure points, the famous clock tower and an impressive aquarium, the V and A waterfront offers tourists everything they could want and more. In terms of consumption, this layout gives the Waterfront a huge jump start in comparison to many other malls around the country.
Distracting consumers in order to extend their stay is just one of the many factors that silently make the built environment or the mall a “socially and psychologically persuasive” (Goss, 1993: 31) place. Chief to a malls success is the idea of effectively catering to the social class of its surrounding customers. In terms of this, the theme of the mall is, amongst others, of paramount importance. This is seen by the modern, debonair theme of Sandton City that successfully attracts the surrounding middle to upper class citizens of Johannesburg. At the waterfront mall, we see an older Victorian themed building that, along with its African feel, attracts the middle to upper class residents of Cape Town as well as the many tourists visiting throughout the year. One can note that both malls are attracting middle to upper class customers however their themes differ due to the dissimilar nature and preferences of the Johannesburg and Cape Town residents.
Within the malls, other techniques are used to further the social class separation. As noted upon, when viewing the Waterfront, is the position of the various food options. Inexpensive take out stores are all situated on one side of the mall, right by the entrance with less emphatic views, while the breath taking views are reserved for those willing to pay the premium. In Sandton city there is a similar layout. A central food court offers takeout type food while the more exclusive restaurants are all situated around the Nelson Mandela Square therefore attracting people of a certain social class. The segregation of expensive and exclusive shops, shops attracting the average middle class citizen and shops visited by the lower class members of society is another method used to separate social class within both malls.
Another deceiving aim of the mall is to “trap the consumer in the world of consumption.”(Goss, 1993:32) In order to do this, the look and structure of both the entrance and exit is extremely important. The entrance must be lush and appealing while the exit must be difficult to find and uninviting. This is seen by the main entrance of Sandton City, if entering from the roof parking lot. This entrance involves walking through a set of doors which leads the customer to a large escalator or glass lift that slowly lowers one into the world of consumption. From the escalator or lift, the customer has a large view of the many lights, window displays and fellow shoppers who make the act of consumption look like the norm. This is a smart design as the exit happens in the same way only the consumer is being lifted from the magical world below to an area of nothingness and is immediately met by a pay for parking machine, signifying the end of their experience.
The ability to make the entrance of the waterfront mall enticing is very difficult due to the fact that people want to be outside to experience the beautiful view. The entrance that one would consider to be the main entrance to the mall however, is situated in such a way that a good view cannot be seen. The entrance looks appealing as there is a walkway across the road leading you towards turning doors which make the entrance to the mall no effort. The direction in which the entrance is facing is towards the outside area of the Waterfront where the beautiful views and African shows can be seen. Psychologically this will entice the consumer to walk through the mall with the purpose of reaching the view outside; however lights, window displays and other shoppers tempt the customer into looking and evidently consuming.
Subsequent to entering the mall, consumption becomes unavoidable. Many tiny and unnoticeable techniques are used in order to psychologically alter the way the consumer thinks, the direction s/he walks and the decision s/he makes to consume. The first element to be discussed is the lighting. In both the Waterfront mall and Sandton City, lighting, whilst “being soft to prevent a glare on the shop fronts,” (Goss, 1993:32) is used to illuminate the product being sold by “highlighting its natural colours.” (Goss, 1993:32) This assists the shop in convincing the customer to consume and we can therefore understand why lighting is known to “act as a silent salesman.” (Goss, 1993:32)
Along with the effects of lighting encouraging customers to consume is the utilization of reflective space. Mirrors and reflective glass create a situation where the consumers compare themselves to that of the manikins and other consumers.(Goss, 1993) This can encourage consumption as the shopper may try to improve their own look in order to match up to that of the manikin. The mirrors and reflective glass can also be used to make the shopping space look bigger and the amount of shoppers look more. (Goss, 1993) These reflective surfaces are seen in Sandton City and are even placed on the doors at the entrance of the mall. This encourages the consumers to start comparing themselves from the moment they walk in. In the Waterfront, the reflective spaces are seen continually along the isles of the mall therefore giving the consumer the opportunity to constantly compare themselves.
When it comes to psychologically altering the direction in which a consumer walks there are a few techniques that can be used, two of which are seen in both the waterfront and Sandton City. The first of these is the presence of signs at any area where a customer is forced to make a choice. These informative signs, explaining where everything is, can now be seen in the form of a touch computer screen. The customer can then find the shop being looked for as the screen displays it on a digital map. The second technique used is floor patterns. These are placed to “suggest pathways through the mall” (Goss, 1993:34) which customers will subconsciously follow.
Rest areas and food stops are two other ways that shopping malls keep their customers consuming. Rest areas are important in order for consumers to “rest, review their programmes and rearrange their purchases,” (Goss, 1993:34) however, these rest stops must not be too comfortable as comfort could make the consumers realize their tiredness in which case their consuming would come to an end. The rest stops are situated along the aisles of the Waterfront and Sandton City however at the waterfront they differ depending on the area you are in. The benches in the area where averagely priced shops are situated, are wooden, hard and uncomfortable. These are in contrast to the luxurious, couch like rest stops provided in the aisle of exclusive, boutique like shops. Food stops, which are evident in both malls, are not only necessary for the replacement of energy used but also allow for shoppers to relax and “watch others display their commodified lifestyles.” (Crawford, 1992, cited in Goss, 1993:34) Again reassuring that what they are doing is of the norm.
In conclusion, one can see how malls are constructed and managed in order to attract, and prolong the stay of customers with the intention of reaching their final goal; maximising consumption and therefore profits. The techniques used to achieve these goals are often purposefully inconspicuous, and therefore subtly persuade the consumers into acting in ways that suit the objectives of the mall. Upon further investigation one would note the similarities and dissimilarities between the V and A Waterfront in Cape Town and the Sandton city mall in Johannesburg. One could note that the goals of Sandton City and the Waterfront are similar however their themes differ due to their geographical location and therefore the nature of their target market. Both the Waterfront and Sandton City can be classified as a pseudo-public space which, with all the other techniques, adds to the huge success these malls experience today.
Bibliography
African men entertainment [Image] 2009 retrieved 9 April 2010 from http://s4.hubimg.com/u/1230599_f496.jpg
African Woman Singing [Image] 2008 retrieved 9 April 2010 from http://www.capetown.travel/images/uploads/Waterfront_lady_by_Ivana_Minic-Lukac_aka_ivancica66.jpg
ANON. 2008. New World Encyclopaedia. [Online]. Available: www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Road. [9 April 2010]
ANON. 2008. Planning Support. [Online]. Available: http://www.planningsupport.ie/glossary.htm. [8 April 2010]
ANON. 2010. Wordnet. [Online]. Available: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=shopping%20mall
Goss,J. (1993). The "Magic of the Mall": An Analysis of Form, Function, and Meaning in the Contemporary Retail Built Environment. Annals of the Association of American Geographers.. 83 (1), p18-47.
Howard Besser. (2001). Intellectual Property: The Attack on Public Space in Cyberspace. Available: http://besser.tsoa.nyu.edu/howard/papers/pw-public-spaces.html. Last accessed 8 April 2010.
Sandton Public Library [Image] 2008 retrieved 9 April 2010 from www.sandtoncentral.co.za/images/cst/image/Library.JPG
V and A waterfront clock tower [Image] 2007 retrieved 9 April 2010 from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4029342324_df3b2d569f.jpg
Manikins to compare to.
The Famous Clock Tower at the Waterfront 
direction one walks
Computer screen to give one directions
Reflective surface
African Entertainment at the Waterfront
No comments:
Post a Comment