How Malls Use Decor, Gifting & Campaigns to Drive Footfall

Sahil Chawla, Head of Marketing, Ambiance, shares his insights on how malls leverage gifting, decor, campaigns, and brand tie-ups to maximize footfall and sales. Sahil is overseeing strategic marketing initiatives for flagship properties in Vasant Kunj and Gurgaon.

With a robust background in retail and real estate marketing, he previously held senior roles at DLF Limited, including head of partnerships and alliances for the Delhi cluster. Sahil holds an MBA in Marketing from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology and a Bachelor's in Computer Applications from JIMS Delhi.

With the festive season underway, malls across India are gearing up for a significant surge in visitors, reflecting how these spaces have evolved far beyond their original role as retail hubs. Today, malls serve as experience-driven destinations where people come together not only to shop, but also to dine, celebrate, and spend time with family and friends.

This transformation is most visible during festivals, when malls become vibrant community centers enhanced by dazzling décor, gifting initiatives, creative campaigns, and exclusive brand partnerships.

By carefully curating festive experiences, malls are blending emotional appeal with commercial strategies to maximize footfall and boost sales.

With food and entertainment already contributing close to 30 percent of mall visits in India and F&B accounting for nearly 20–25 percent of mall revenues, the festive period has become a crucial moment for malls to drive both engagement and profitability.

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Festive Décor that Transforms the Shopping Environment

During the festive season, Delhi-NCR invest heavily in immersive festive décor in malls to create an atmosphere of celebration. Themed installations, dazzling light displays, and cultural motifs not only elevate the aesthetic appeal but also invite visitors to linger longer—naturally increasing the likelihood of purchases. Industry estimates suggest that décor and events can lift dwell time by 10–20 percent and contribute to a 15–25 percent increase in weekend footfall compared to non-festive periods. Intricate installations also serve as Instagram-worthy backdrops—extending the mall’s reach well beyond its physical visitors through social media sharing.

How Delhi Malls Boost Engagement and Sales

Festivals drive some of the sharpest spikes in consumer spending. According to industry research, festive sales in India grow by 15–30 percent year-on-year, with categories like fashion, jewelry, and electronics leading the charge. To capture this demand, Delhi malls are rolling out vouchers, hampers, and tiered shopping rewards that nudge customers toward higher ticket sizes—often raising average transaction values by 10–25 percent.

Consumer behavior is shifting as well: a YouGov survey shows that 42 percent of Diwali shoppers make purchases 1–4 weeks before the festival, while nearly 45 percent are willing to try new brands. To leverage this, malls are introducing pop-up stores, limited-edition collections, and co-branded activations that focus on consumer behavior during festivals.

To deepen engagement, malls are blending retail with entertainment—launching cultural performances, influencer-led activities, and social media-driven contests. Such campaigns to boost mall footfall time and create reasons for repeat visits, helping malls sustain momentum across the multi-week festive window.

Strategic Brand Tie-Ups that Expand Market Reach

Festivals are also a season of discovery. Malls collaborate with leading brands to create exclusive experiences that appeal to both loyalists and new shoppers. These partnerships often include co-branded promotions, product launches, or experiential activations like makeovers, tastings, and workshops highlighting the impact of brand tie-ups in retail.

With experiential zones and F&B proven to draw 20–30 percent more footfall than purely retail-driven formats, such collaborations diversify the mall’s offering and increase cross-category purchases. In addition, limited-time tie-ups amplify the mall’s positioning as a lifestyle destination rather than a transactional space, building long-term loyalty. This part of extensive mall marketing strategies to optimize gifting initiatives for shoppers and increase engagement.

Festivals drive some of the sharpest spikes in consumer spending. According to industry research, festive sales in India grow by 15–30 percent year-on-year, with categories like fashion, jewelry, and electronics leading the charge.

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The Bigger Picture

The festive season highlights how malls have matured into cultural and commercial ecosystems that go far beyond traditional shopping. Festive décor in malls, campaigns to boost mall footfall, gifting initiatives for shoppers, and brand tie-ups in retail work in tandem to elevate the festive mood while directly impacting footfall and sales.

By striking a balance between emotional engagement and transactional value, malls create environments that encourage longer visits, bigger baskets, and repeat trips. As festivals remain central to India’s consumer culture, malls that combine creativity, community engagement, and strategic partnerships are best positioned to capture the celebratory spirit and translate it into sustained business growth.