Shoppers don’t go to the mall just to shop. They are also drawn to the mall to lose themselves in the feeling of getting away from it all for a morning or afternoon while browsing shops and making their purchases. Expanses of lush, green turf, walking paths lined with vibrant flowers, and blooming shrubs—these elements are central to a mall’s business model. A beautiful landscape design draws shoppers in, encouraging them to linger longer and make more purchases.
Inside the mall, landscaped sitting areas nestled beside colorful flowerbeds and trickling water fixtures will beckon shoppers to sit and relax for a spell in a serene space away from the bustling crowd before feeling refreshed to shop some more.
Maintaining a lush, turf-dominated landscape in a shopping mall obviously requires tons of water to stay green and thrive for shoppers’ enjoyment. A more water-efficient landscape would be to replace thirsty turf grass with drought-tolerant xeric plants that require very little water to thrive, yet still provide a lush and attractive landscape for shoppers to enjoy.
In San Antonio, Texas, The Village at Stone Oak reduced its water use by 60%, saving nearly 14 million gallons of water annually by replacing thirsty turf grass with drought-tolerant native plant species, and increasing water efficiency by modifying its irrigation system. The modifications resulted in an $84,000 annual savings, while still maintaining an attractive landscape for The Village.
Irrigation modifications The Village at Stone Oak made consisted of converting 160 beds from spray to drip irrigation, which uses 20 to 50 per cent less water than conventional pop-up sprinkler systems. Installment of a Smart Water Management System gave property managers more control, ensuring plants only received as much water they needed, and skipping watering on rainy days.
Taking irrigation to the highest level, powerful, cloud-based Smart Irrigation utilizes sophisticated automation technology to eliminate water waste and save money, based on real-time, site-specific data from the ET Everywhere weather service– the most precise, high resolution weather data available– to create specific schedules, optimized by microclimate, plant type, soil and slope.
A visually appealing landscape design is one of the most effective ways to attract visitors to shopping malls. It encourages them to spend more time, escape from daily routines, and enjoy a leisurely morning or afternoon browsing—often leading to increased spending and higher revenue for the mall.
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