Glen Eagle Square in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania is a 152,000 square foot specialty center with a small, highly affluent trade area. The merchandising mix is anchored by a local grocer and an Outback Steakhouse, but features strong fashion apparel brands such as Ann Taylor and Banana Republic. The center was built in 1990 and features attractive landscaping and appealing aesthetics.
In August of 2008, Madison Marquette initiated the center’s first "Ladies Night Out" event. It targeted women 25–45 — a key demographic for the fashion-forward tenants. A direct mail promotional campaign and email marketing campaign were used to promote the event. Participating merchants also promoted the event with in-store signage.
Three quarters of the merchants offered special one-night sales to registered participants and several offered free-gift-with-purchase incentives. The event was held on a Wednesday night when center traffic is usually low.
The debut "Ladies Night Out" attracted 60 registered participants and many more who attended, but did not register. Retailers reported dramatic increases in sales with most reporting that it was their most successful weeknight since the holidays. Although the number of additional shoppers to the center was relatively small, the sales conversation rates were especially high.
The event is a great illustration of how targeting the right demographic for a center’s merchandising mix can drive traffic during any otherwise unproductive time period and help build shopper loyalty. These benefits are particularly important to smaller centers such as Glen Eagle Square where competition with larger centers is substantial.
