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Potomac Mills Creates Virginia-Themed Indoor Play Area
May 22, 2012
“We decided to install a unique, Virginia-themed play area to endear ourselves to our shoppers,” says Mike Sullivan, General Manager. “It’s a wonderful amenity that has extended parents’ shopping trips while helping their kids expend energy, and it drives sales to nearby stores. It’s a win-win-win.”
Located in the Washington, D.C. area, Potomac Mills is part of The Mills, a nationwide portfolio of outlet and value retail megamalls owned by Simon Property Group. Many Simon properties entice young shoppers with events and activities hosted by the branded kids club, “Kidgits.” As plans for the new indoor playground unfolded, Sullivan sought to incorporate characters from Kidgits Club into the Virginia-themed soft foam play elements.
The play area was designed, manufactured and installed by PLAYTIME, LLC, the global provider of unique, interactive play areas and playground equipment for indoor, outdoor and water play.
As part of the unique Virginia elements, which include a cherry tree, a blue crab, a cardinal and a replica of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, PLAYTIME added Kidgits characters peeking around and resting atop the pieces.
“When the play elements arrived, they were absolutely jaw-dropping,” says Sullivan. “They’re beautiful and scaled correctly for the kids. Everyone just loves them.”
Sullivan also says that the retailers in the area surrounding the indoor playground have seen an uptick in sales.
“We track sales around the play area and have found that the sales increases are greater than the average of the rest of the shopping center,” he says. “It’s accomplished what we wanted: It has lengthened shopping trips, and made parents and kids very happy.”
