Chamber Of Commerce Hears From Broadway Commons
The Hicksville Chamber of Commerce held its monthly meeting at Peppercorns last Tuesday, gathering for a casual lunch and opportunity to mingle with various businessmen and women from around the Hicksville community.
After Hicksville Chamber of Commerce president Mike Ruvolo, the owner of Hicksville Minuteman Press, led guests in the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence to honor those who fight for us, he welcomed to the room Amaka Oweazim, marketing director and business development manager for Broadway Commons.
Oweazim led an enlightening discussion on the current state of shopping malls and what it means to leave in an era where shoppers are primarily doing their purchasing through online services, like Amazon or a brand’s own website, rather than venture out to the store itself.
“It’s just a lot of changes in the way the malls are and the mall businesses,” Oweazim said, citing the trends in shoppers’ habits that the Commons has taken notice of.
Oweazim noted that while many praise Broadway Commons for being a calm place to walk around, it means the Commons is not receiving the foot traffic it needs. In an effort to bring shoppers into the mall, Oweazim is constantly working on securing special events and creating opportunities for word to spread through social media.
“People come in, but how do you translate that to people making purchases?” Oweazim questioned.
In the halway outside of IKEA, there is a mural of a pair of wings—perfect for young people looking to post an artistic “selfie” to their Instagram account. Through tagging their photo with location information, more people will see what Broadway Commons has to offer and are more likely to visit the shopping mall. Through hosting carnivals and events like National Night Out, and working with tenants to promote sales and special deals, an increased amount of foot traffic is brought to the mall in the hope that those patrons will make some purchases.
Oweazim also commented that as we are living in a digital age, it is crucial to recognize the best ways to disseminate information to the various generations that visit Broadway Commons. While younger people will happily sign up for emails and text messages, older crowds, like morning mall walkers and stroller walkers, would rather have a physical flier handed to them.
After Oweazim concluded her presentation, guests were welcomed to ask questions and promote their own goings-on. One man questioned the current state of the proposed Seritage mixed-use development at the former Sears site. A representative stated that they are working on getting input from the Town of Oyster Bay and will be coming back to the public with another design in the “foreseeable future.”
