Festival for foreigners drives up sales
By Luo Man (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-20 07:03

A Shanghai mall plans to attract foreigners so that it can attract Chinese attracted to the foreigners. Geddit?

The equation may seem a little complicated, but the idea is simple. For two weeks, Westgate Mall has held a festival for foreigners that will end on Sunday. The highlights are competitions held at the weekend that attract people from every nationality to participate in games such as hands-free watermelon eating, beer chugging and pizza scoffing.

In short: Put foreigners up on stage, invite as many people as possible to watch and let the shopping begin.

That's why the mall has been sponsoring the "We Are the World" Shanghai Foreign Friends Carnival. Instead of discounts or cash returns, the mall indulges in a kind of indirect marketing by using its large atrium to hold activities that might get people in the door.

The atrium has been used continually since the mall opened. Live tigers have spent time there. When it was announced that China won the 2008 Olympic bid, more than 100,000 dominoes were toppled in a huge chain in the shape of the Olympic rings. There have been dog shows, language competitions and even a huge dinosaur skeleton.

Now the mall plans to pay more attention to foreigners and their wallets while keeping in mind the much larger local customer base.

Foreigners will face off in games Shanghai people rarely see, said Roger Cheung, the mall's public relations officer.

"In Shanghai, we have more Chinese people than foreigners but we have to attract as many foreigners as possible," Cheung said. "Chinese people often see these activities, but it's Chinese people vs Chinese people. They never see foreigner vs foreigner."

Mall atriums are natural venues for quick-hit performances and promotions. Westgate, with its large centre court surrounded by several stories of shops, has been using its atrium since it opened in 1997. Other malls in the city - Plaza 66, Parkson's or Grand Pacific, for example - also hold performances and activities.

Besides the competitions, the mall will also host performers from around the world. On Friday, a Brazilian samba group played for a large crowd. Thursday was devoted to all things American.

Westgate is located in an area frequented by expatriates who are attracted by the high-end stores that line the street.

"Foreigners are at the top of the pyramid," Cheung said. "They have the most purchasing ability. Why not pay more attention to them?

"We thought about this for some time, but now the time is right," said Cheung.