WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Online spending surged to more than $14 billion on Cyber Monday, a 7% increase over last year, according to new data from Adobe Analytics.
But despite the jump in e-commerce activity, overall holiday spending is expected to soften as many families navigate tighter budgets.
That shift has brick-and-mortar stores — especially shopping malls — searching for new ways to bring people through their doors.
At The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, efforts to boost foot traffic include festive events and in-person shopping incentives.
One of the biggest draws is the Symphony in Lights presented by AdventHealth, a choreographed light show set to music and capped off with artificial snowfall.
The event runs hourly from 6–9 p.m. each night through New Year’s Eve and has become a popular holiday tradition for families in the area.
Also, retailers at the mall are also rolling out exclusive in-store pickup promotions to encourage shoppers to visit in person.
Alexis Muellner, editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal, said many retailers are now leaning into a strategy known as BOPIS — Buy Online, Pick Up In Store.
“The notion that we will shop online and then go pick it up — there are opportunities for retailers in that situation to activate people on site with special deals, deep discounting, and experiences, which they are really leaning into,” Muellner said.
He expects these types of hybrid shopping incentives to expand in the near future.
Even with creative strategies, malls continue to face steep competition from online retailers.
Adobe Analytics reports that shoppers spent more than $40 billion online in just the first week of the holiday shopping season, and over half of those purchases were made on mobile devices.
As retailers balance tightening consumer budgets with the convenience of online shopping, many brick-and-mortar stores are betting that unique experiences — and a few special deals — will help keep customers coming through their doors this holiday season.
Jason Lanning
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