Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Shopping Center Social Media
Benchmark Report
Q4 2010
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Summary
The online presence of the retail shopping environment is becoming larger than ever driven in part by
social media tools and networks that make it easier for shopping centers to relay information, interact
with customers, and generally stay connected. Customer service and feedback have been revolutionized
as social networks like Facebook and Twitter allow customers to publically voice their opinions. These
networks have formed an outlet for shopping centers to publically respond, that takes business‐
customer relations to a whole new level. At Alexander Babbage we collect and report on benchmark
data for the shopping center industry. Since data was first collected two quarters ago, use of Facebook
and Twitter by U.S. shopping centers 300,000 square feet or larger has grown by 78.2% and 54.5%
respectively.
Center Type Number of
(300,000 square feet or larger) Centers Studied
Super Regional Centers 432
Regional Centers 777
Lifestyle Centers 522
Value Centers 94
Entertainment Centers 17
Total Industry 1,842
Alexander Babbage quantified the online presence of 1,842 U.S. shopping centers 300,000 square feet
or larger. Facebook and Twitter use was observed from those centers that link from their webpage.
Among all centers studied in Q4, just less than half (46.0%) are on Facebook, while 37.1% have a Twitter
account, a percent growth of 39.3% and 22.6% respectively from Q3 to Q4 2010. Super regional centers
have the highest percentage of Facebook pages (68.5%), while value centers continue to have the
strongest presence on Twitter (58.5%). This past quarter super regional centers experienced the highest
growth in the use of both Facebook and Twitter.
Other than entertainment centers’ Twitter use, which experienced zero growth from Q3 to Q4 (bear in
mind that there are only 17 entertainment centers in the U.S. 300,000 square feet or larger), all other
center types saw additional centers started using Facebook and Twitter. Super regional centers
surpassed entertainment centers, and lifestyle centers surpassed value centers in their percentage of
participation on Facebook.
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Percentage of Centers who use Facebook by Center Type*
Percent Growth
Q2'10 Percent Q3'10 Percent Q4'10 Percent
Center Type from Q3 to Q4
with Facebook with Facebook with Facebook
2010
Super Regional 35.6% 44.9% 68.5% 52.6%
Regional 22.9% 31.1% 45.2% 45.0%
Lifestyle 21.5% 26.2% 31.0% 18.2%
Value 25.5% 28.7% 30.9% 7.4%
Entertainment 41.2% 47.1% 52.9% 12.5%
Total Industry 25.8% 33.0% 46.0% 39.3%
Percentage of Centers who use Twitter by Center Type*
Percent Growth
Q2'10 Percent Q3'10 Percent Q4'10 Percent
Center Type from Q3 to Q4
with Twitter with Twitter with Twitter
2010
Super Regional 35.0% 42.6% 57.4% 34.8%
Regional 19.8% 25.9% 32.0% 23.9%
Lifestyle 15.5% 20.9% 23.8% 13.8%
Value 53.2% 56.4% 58.5% 3.8%
Entertainment 35.3% 41.2% 41.2% 0.0%
Total Industry 24.0% 30.2% 37.1% 22.6%
* The definitions of each center type can be found in the appendix.
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Findings
Industry‐wide, social media use among shopping centers has seen increased growth over the past three
quarters. However, Facebook in particular has seen notable growth from 608 centers on Facebook in
Q3, to 847 in Q4, growth of 78.2% in three months.
Industry‐wide Use of Facebook and Twitter
(% of all centers over 300,000 square feet using Facebook or Twitter)
50.0%
46.0%
40.0% 37.1%
33.0% 30.2%
30.0% 25.8%
24.0% Facebook
20.0%
Twitter
10.0%
0.0%
Q2 Q3 Q4
Other than showing growth, the use of social media by center type has not changed much from Q3 to
Q4 2010. Value centers still use Twitter more (58.5% compared to 30.9% on Facebook), while the other
center types primarily use Facebook.
Social Media use by Center Type
94.9%
Super Regional Centers (432) 68.5%
57.4%
74.8%
Regional Centers (777) 45.2%
32.0%
62.8% Website
Lifestyle Centers (522) 31.0%
23.8% Facebook
80.9% Twitter
Value Centers (94) 30.9%
58.5%
82.4%
Entertainment Centers (17) 52.9%
41.2%
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
The average number of Facebook fans in Q4 was 1,626 per center, and despite a growing number of
centers utilizing Facebook (and therefore having below average number of fans), the average still
increased by 4.0% from the previous quarter’s average of 1,563 fans. Entertainment centers continue to
have the largest fan base (7,202), while regional centers continue to fall behind with an average of 684
fans per center. Value centers saw the greatest increase in the number of fans from Q3 to Q4 with
62.7% growth, while super regional centers saw a slight decrease in the average number of fans which
relates to their 52.6% growth in the number of super regional centers now on Facebook. The highest
number of Facebook fans for any one center was 115,060 for the super regional center Mall of America
in Bloomington, MN.
Average Number of Facebook Fans by Center Type
2,162
Super Regional Centers (432)
1516 2167
684
Regional Centers (777) 594
479
2,289
Lifestyle Centers (522) 2064 Q4
1859
2,182
Value Centers (94) 1341 Q3
1027
7,202 Q2
Entertainment Centers (17) 6221
5655
1,626
Total Industry (1842) 1563
1244
Average Number of Twitter Followers
268
Super Regional Centers (432) 248
190
145
Regional Centers (777) 125
109
572
Lifestyle Centers (522) 467 Q4
479
516
Value Centers (94) 431 Q3
408
1,407 Q2
Entertainment Centers (17) 1161
1117
310
Total Industry (1842) 281
252
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
It is more common for a shopping center to have both a Facebook and a Twitter account than to use
either individually. As of Q4 2010, out of the 1,842 observed shopping centers 46.0% have a Facebook
account. Out of that 46.0% (847 centers), 203 use only Facebook and the remainder (644) have both a
Facebook and a Twitter account.
Facebook Use Among Observed Shopping Centers
Facebook
Yes 24.0% Only
46.0%
54.0% No 76.0% Facebook
and Twitter
Compared to Facebook, centers are even less likely to have a Twitter account without also being on
Facebook. 37.1% of centers have a Twitter account. Out of that 37.1% (683 centers), 39 use only Twitter
and the remainder (644) have both a Twitter and a Facebook account.
Twitter Use Among Observed Shopping Centers
5.7%
Twitter Only
37.1% Yes
No 94.3% Twitter and
62.9%
Facebook
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Developers
Among developers with 20 or more centers, Simon Property Group, CBL & Associates Properties, and
Macerich all experienced growth exceeding 100% in the number of centers using Facebook from Q3 to
Q4 2010. Simon Property Group experienced growth over 100% for the second quarter in a row for both
Facebook (295.6% growth) and Twitter (154.7% growth). Glimcher remains the only developer among
those with 20 or more centers to have 100% participation on both Facebook and Twitter. A complete list
of the top 25 developers based on the number of centers can be found in the appendix.
Social Media Usage Among Developers with 20+ Centers
Note the data for Simon Property Group was aggregated by Simon Property Group (Chelsea), Kravco Simon and Simon Property Group, Inc. CBL
& Associates Properties was aggregated by CBL RM ‐ Waco LLC and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. and Forest City was aggregated by Forest
City Commercial Management, Forest City Enterprises, Forest City Management, and Forest City Ratner Companies.
© 2010 Alexander Babbage, Inc. All Rights Reserved 7
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Region
Shopping centers in the west continue to utilize social media more than any other region, with half of all
centers on Facebook and Twitter. Centers in the south have seen the most growth in the use of both
Facebook (44.2%) and Twitter (70.7%) over the past quarter.
45.1%
ICSC Northeast Regions 1 and 2 33.1%
26.2%
43.7%
ICSC South Regions 3, 4, and 5 30.3%
23.7% Q4
43.4%
ICSC Midwest Regions 6 and 7 31.6% Q3
23.7%
Q2
53.2%
ICSC West Regions 8 and 9 39.8%
31.0%
30.3%
ICSC Northeast Regions 1 and 2 21.5%
17.0%
43.7%
ICSC South Regions 3, 4, and 5 25.6%
20.0% Q4
33.9%
ICSC Midwest Regions 6 and 7 30.1% Q3
22.6%
Q2
50.7%
ICSC West Regions 8 and 9 44.6%
37.8%
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Facebook Top 20
The Mall of America has remained the top ranking shopping center based on the number of Facebook
fans with 115,060 fans at the end of Q4 2010. The top five centers in Q3 have remained in the top 5 for
Q4, however Westfield Garden State Plaza has surpassed King of Prussia Mall to rank second, and The
Galleria has surpassed Westfield Valley Fair to take fourth place. Opry Mills and the Grove have pushed
Southlake Town Square and The Mall at Stonecrest out of the rankings, and made their way into the top
20. Opry Mills experienced the highest growth in the number of fans at 84.9%.
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Top 5 Shopping Centers Based on Facebook Fan Growth Rate
Q3 # of Q4 # of
Center Facebook Facebook
Center Name Location Type Square Feet Managed By Fans Fans Growth
Facebook Spotlight: Mall of America 115,060 Fans
Getting fans involved:
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Exclusive Fan‐only Promotions/Deals:
Keep Fans Informed:
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Twitter Top 20
The Grove has remained the top center based on the number of followers on Twitter, with 6,960
followers at the end of Q4 2010. Dana Park Village Square, Easton Town Center, and The Cosmopolitan
pushed Tempe Marketplace, Santana Row, and The Wharf out of the top 20 for Q4 2010. Mall of
America, The Grove, Pier Park, The Galleria, and Asbury Park all made both the top 20 list for Facebook
as well as the top 20 list for Twitter.
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Top 5 Shopping Centers Based on Twitter Followers Growth Rate
Number of Fans Compared to Average Tweets Per Day‐ Top 10 Centers
8000 8
7000 7
6.1
6000 5.8 6
5000 4.8 5
4000 3.3 4
3.4
3000 2.6 3
2000 1.6 2
1.5 1.0
1000 1 Q4 Followers
0.7
0 0
Avg tweets per day
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Twitter Spotlight: The Grove 6,960 Followers
Interact with followers:
Exclusive Follower‐Only Promotions/Deals:
Keep Followers Informed:
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Conclusion
It is not difficult to see the interest in social media is growing with profound enthusiasm across all
industries, and shopping centers are responding to the revolution just as strongly. We are at a time
where we are actually able to witness the evolution of the marketing and customer service world as
more and more functions are moving online and businesses are interacting with their customers in a
completely different way. Just over half (956) of U.S. shopping centers 300,000 square feet or larger
were not using Facebook or Twitter as of Q4 2010, down from 1,277 centers in Q2. It will be interesting
to see if this number continues to fall over time, or if social media proves to be just a fad. It is our
opinion that it is here to stay and centers who have embraced social media as using at as a key part of
their marketing mix in the same way as previous technologies (websites, email) have been adopted and
adapted.
Alexander Babbage will continually monitor social media activity in the shopping center industry with
benchmarks published at the beginning of each quarter. For more information about comparing your
center or portfolio to benchmarks, contact:
Alan McKeon at 404‐961‐7602 or amckeon@alexanderbabbage.com or
Charlotte Sykes at 404‐961‐7603 or csykes@alexanderbabbage.com
Alexander Babbage, Inc., is an Atlanta based full‐service research firm specializing in experiential research for destinations
including shopping centers, professional sports teams, retailers, restaurants, the arts and financial institutions. It has the
deepest experience and most extensive benchmark set among private research providers. Alexander Babbage acquired
A
Stillerman Jones & Company in 2007 and MAXtrak® in 2004, making it the shopping center industry’s leading provider of
market and shopper research.
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Definitions
Center Type
Only centers 300,000 square feet or larger in the continental United States were considered.
Super Regional Center ‐ Similar to a regional center, but because of its larger size, a super regional
center has more anchors, a deeper selection of merchandise, and draws from a larger population base.
As with regional centers, the typical configuration is an enclosed mall, frequently with multi levels.
Regional Center ‐ This center type provides general merchandise (a large percentage of which is
apparel) and services in full depth and variety. Its main attractions are its anchors: traditional, mass
merchant, or discount department stores or fashion specialty stores. A typical regional center is usually
enclosed with an inward orientation of the stores connected by a common walkway and parking
surrounds the outside perimeter.
Lifestyle Center ‐ Most often located near affluent residential neighborhoods, this center type caters to
the retail needs and “lifestyle” pursuits of consumer in its trading area. It has an open‐air configuration
and typically includes retail space occupied by upscale national chain specialty stores. These center may
or may not be anchored by one or more conventional or fashion specialty department stores.
Value Center ‐ A center that includes outlet tenants as well as superstores, catalog, retail clearing
houses, off‐price or discounters, and food vendors.
Entertainment Center ‐ A shopping center that encompasses theaters, restaurants and related retail.
Social Media Terms
Facebook ‐ A publication for an organization, such as a school or business, which helps members identify
each other; also, an online version of this, with profiles including a picture, name, birth date, interests,
etc.
Twitter ‐ An information network made up of 140‐character messages, typically sent as text messages.
Tweet ‐ A message posted via Twitter containing 140 characters or fewer.
Follow ‐ To follow someone on Twitter means to subscribe to their Tweets or updates on the site.
Follower ‐ A follower is another Twitter user who has followed you.
Data and counts are effective as of the measurement date 9/30/2010.
Dictionary of Shopping Center Terms, Third Edition
Twitter Glossary
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Appendix
Top 25 Developers Based on Number of Centers.
Facebook and Twitter usage among each developers centers of 300,000 square feet or larger
% Growth % Growth
Q3 % with Q4 % with from Q3 to Q3 % with Q4 % with from Q3 to
Developer Base Facebook Facebook Q4 Twitter Twitter Q42
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Developer Aggregated by
Simon Property Group Simon Property Group, Inc., Simon Property Group (Chelsea), Kravco Simon Company
General Growth Properties General Growth Properties, Inc., c/o City of Trotwood, c/o Grand Teton Mall
CBL & Associates Properties CBL & Associates Properties, CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. , CBM RM‐Waco LLC
Jones Lang LaSalle Jones Lang LaSalle, c/o Ashtabula Towne Square
Forest City Enterprises, Forest City Commercial Management, Forest City Management,
Forest City Forest City Ratner Companies
Inland Southwest Management, Inland American Retail Mgmt LLC, Inland Commercial
Property Mgmt, Inland Pacific Property Svcs LLC, Inland US Management LLC, Inland
Inland Continental Property Mgmt.
Red Development RED Development , RED Asset Management, Inc.
CB Richard Ellis CB Richard Ellis, CBRE Louisville, CBRE/MEGA
Vornado Realty Trust Vornado Realty Trust , Vornado/Charles E. Smith
The Pyramid Companies The Pyramid Companies, c/o Avitation Mall
Vestar Development Vestar Development , Vestar Property Mgmt , c/o Vestar Development Co.
© 2010 Alexander Babbage, Inc. All Rights Reserved 18
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Facebook Use by Center Type
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
68.5%
70.0%
60.0%
52.9%
47.1% Q2
50.0% 44.9% 45.2%
41.2%
40.0% 30.9%
Q3
35.6% 31.1% 31.0%
26.2% 28.7%
30.0% 25.5% Q4
22.9% 21.5%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Super Regional Regional Centers Lifestyle Centers Value Centers Entertainment
Centers Centers
Twitter Use by Center Type
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
57.4% 58.5%
60.0% 56.4%
53.2%
50.0% Q2
42.6% 41.2% 41.2%
40.0% 35.0% 32.0% 35.3%
Q3
30.0% 25.9% 23.8% Q4
20.9%
19.8%
20.0% 15.5%
10.0%
0.0%
Super Regional Regional Centers Lifestyle Centers Value Centers Entertainment
Centers Centers
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
Facebook Use by Region
100.0%
% Change 33.7% 44.2% 36.3% 37.3%
Q3 to Q4 90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0% 53.2%
50.0% Q2
43.7% 45.1% 43.4%
39.8%
40.0% Q3
31.0% 30.3% 33.1% 31.6%
30.0% Q4
26.2%
23.7% 23.7%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
ICSC West Regions 8 ICSC South Regions 3, ICSC Northeast Regions ICSC Midwest Regions
and 9 4, and 5 1 and 2 6 and 7
Twitter Use by Region
100.0%
% Change 13.7% 70.7% 40.9% 12.6%
Q3 to Q4 90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.7%
50.0% 44.6%
Q2
43.7%
40.0% 37.8% 33.9% Q3
30.3% 30.1%
30.0% 25.6% Q4
21.5% 22.6%
20.0%
20.0% 17.0%
10.0%
0.0%
ICSC West Regions 8 ICSC South Regions 3, ICSC Northeast Regions ICSC Midwest Regions
and 9 4, and 5 1 and 2 6 and 7
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Shopping Center Social Media
Q4 2010
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