Parceling for malls

I'm really torn about this, so I'm hoping to get some well-thought out opinions from you folks.

*falls on floor laughing*

No wait, really, this is important!

OK...new mall contains 30-34 stores, depending on this question.

My original plan (as was on the old mall) to parcel each store individually, which allows the tenant to do their own advertising, set their own LM, etc.

However, by doing that, it's forced a change to the design of my mall, causing me to lose 4 stores and causing a slight modification to one of the more important aspects of the design, which I'm really not thrilled about.

So, anyone feel like throwing advantages and disadvantages at me, of a fully unparcelled mall vs. a parcelled mall? (and if parcelled is spelled wrong, sue me, I'm beat).

TIA

ETA: The almighty traffic god is one of my concerns as well. If I parcel each store individually, am I not diluting the traffic for the mall?

Do malls still make money?

Pip (I always shy away from such places)

Every little bit helps when the tier payment is due.

If I TP to a store and end up in a mall where I have to go looking for the store - I don't. I just leave. When I had my stores I would only rent space that I could do the same. To me it's a big deal.

I'm interested to see the answers you get, Honey. Is it possible the mall would show up higher in searches as a single parcel?

Kai (Serendipity really is a cool name).

Thanks, Bradley...short and to the point. Exactly the kind of feedback I'm hoping to get here.

Next?

Well, since traffic is given for the amount of time that an avatar stands on a parcel, it seems to me that were the entire mall one parcel, it would earn more (higher) traffic and then place higher in search - thus being better for the tenants as well.

I think.

Same here. I'm only a consumer but I really get annoyed when I'm deposited into a large area and have to search out the store that I *thought* I was given a landmark to. It's a surefire way for me to leave and go elsewhere to do my shopping.

But I don't think having the mall be all one parcel necessarily means having only one tp landing point.
The description of the whole mall - that would show up in search could include something about each shop. And each shop-keeper could could give out lm to their own shop...
I have rented in malls that were done both ways... I don't know if one or the other way is better.
With separate parcels each shopkeeper can set their own music...

It doesn't bother me, unless the store is hidden or otherwise obscured. IE, if it is in a mall, it better have a directory and/or have the stores clearly marked so I can see them and find the one I am looking for easily.

Personally, I don't see the problem with landmarks. Just let people create landmarks wherever, and you won't have that problem (ie, don't use forced teleport routing and allow creation of landmarks anywhere in the mall by anyone). If you make a landmark at your shop in a mall, anyone using that landmark should end up at your store.

Yes, traffic does get diluted if you parcel, to an extent. The traffic score is not completely parcel-bound, but you do get less numbers for neighboring parcels than for your own.

I don't use parceling in my mall, but I do have a directory, clear store signage, and allow landmarks to be created wherever by anyone.

Well, I have a lot of landmarks for the mall already out...that will put them at the back of the mall, instead of the front, where I'd rather they appear.



Unfortunately, the About Land does not give you enough space to include much. Limited to 140 characters, I believe.



And there's yet another issue. Isn't it a bit...disparaging, maybe (struggling for words today) to go from store to store and hear different music?

Not arguing at all Kaimi...throwing out my thoughts and hoping someone will fill in my blanks

OK, I was thinking about signage with a teleport to each store, which I could do parceled or unparceled, and put one on each of the mall.

If anyone wants to go visit and give thoughts based on what they see, head to Cherry Park...you can't miss it.

To be honest, it really depends on the atmosphere you're trying to present with the mall.

If you are going for the "group of independent, connected stores" feel, like a strip mall, then parceling may make sense (though that really depends on how much space you are giving each store; it might be hard to give an "independent" feel to a bunch of 64-144sqm booths).

If you are going for the "communal bazaar" feel, then parceling may not make as much sense.

Note that you also won't be able to do multiple stories with different tenants if you provide parceling, because you would be back to tenants having to share parcels.

Roughly described, each perimeter store is 20x10, each interior store is 20x20, and with 30-34 stores currently in it, I can't see a need to ever go "two-story" which would destroy the look I was after anyway.

Communal feeling is what I'm after.

If it were me, and I admit I am biased, being a mall owner of this type of mall, but I would avoid parceling it, but make sure the stores are very well-marked, and if you don't allow direct TP/LM creation, make sure you have a clear and easy-to-use directory at your landing point.

I mean, it IS a mall; what does it hurt to see other stores around, or maybe spend a little time and explore the scenery the mall has to offer? If it is cool enough, I would run around a bit myself.

This...definitely

Thanks for your thoughts Talarus....gave me more to think about.

I'm finding this discussion very interesting. I think actually I'd like to own a mall someday...
I kind of agree that for smallish shops especially it might be more pleasant not to have the music constantly changing.
I'd forgotten how limited the description has to be. Even though I used to have my own store divided up into several parcels just so I could have more than one description.

You also have to remember one other thing:

Many times (I dunno if it is "most", but I would wager it is), mall stores are the stepping stones of people getting started, or are "satellite" stores to a main store elsewhere. Trying to make the mall into something it really can't be ("My Main Store" is asking a bit much, I think. While I would like to have perpetual tenants in my mall, I realize that many of them are just getting their start there, and eventually will move up to their own place, once their success affords to them the opportunity.

Oh, I agree with this completely. So far, each of my committed tenants-to-be has a "main store" location.

But the rents are reasonable, these people all know me as being committed and driven, so they know I'll do the best job I can to get visitors in and shopping.

If I were looking to rent a space at a mall, I wouldn't pay for a place that would not let me landmark to have customers appear right in front of my store.

Though having teleport signs partially mitigates the problem, it doesn't fully mitigate the problem.

Every extra step you give to a customer to get to what the customer wants slows down the inertia of the customer's desire to buy a particular product. Every extra step is an opportunity for the customer to give up or reconsider the purchase.

Worse, whatever I do to bring customers to my store is threatened by the teleport sign. So I work hard to get a customer to visit my store- but along the way, the customer gets sidetracked by other stores among the mall's teleport signs and ends up spending her limited money and/or time somewhere else.

Ideally, you have the teleport signs at the landing point you use to market the mall, but allow your merchants to set landmarks and landing points for their Picks (avoiding a forced landing point). That way, the merchant captures the benefit of whatever they do to bring people to their store (and secondarily to your mall), and you capture the benefit of whatever you do to bring people to your mall (by making it as easy as possible for peopel who teleport to the mall to find shops that interest them).

Great thoughts Amity, thank you.

Edit: So I want to be sure I'm understanding you.

You're saying, ok to have a TP sign to the various stores, as long as I don't force a mall landing point, and allowing each tenant to LM their store?

dont know how this works but what about keeping it awhole parcel and using one of them tp boards? Personally some days I feel like walking and looking other days I like to get in get out.

Bec

Yes. If you have both, I can think of very few reasons why a merchant would need an individual parcel. (Either they want to save on group memberships, or they have specialized audio/video media that enhances their store.)

Some people like to go to malls, not for any particular item, but to just look around and see what’s there. That’s fine. But, some people know exactly where they want to go:

* They used in-world search to find something.

* They saw a post in a products forum that included the SLURL to its location.

* They found something on a web-based shopping site and would rather TP in-world and buy it there.

* They found something in-world, looked-up the creator profile, and followed their pick so they can buy one for themselves.

* They were at the store previously, made a landmark, and now want to go back.

I think it’s very important to allow people to direct TP to a store within the mall if they want to. Making them TP to the front and walk to where they want to go (or use a teleporter that has to rez and looks/operates differently from every other mall because there’s no consistency) is of no benefit to the customer.