Galleria Mall bets on experiential retail with fashion event

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Galleria Mall is stepping up its focus on experiential retail as shopping centres seek new ways to attract and retain customers beyond conventional shopping.

The mall hosted Style, Sip & Shop on Saturday, bringing together women of different ages and lifestyles for a fashion and lifestyle experience led by award-winning stylist Connie Aluoch.

The event combined a live styling session with shopping across fashion retailers at the mall, giving customers an opportunity to explore brands while receiving advice on building wardrobes around their lifestyles.

Rather than focusing solely on fashion trends, the session examined how personal style can evolve as women move through different stages of life, including careers, motherhood and changing social and professional commitments.

Aluoch, who led a session dubbed “Fashion Through the Seasons,” said personal style should reflect an individual’s circumstances rather than simply follow trends.

“Fashion is not just about following trends. It is about understanding who you are, where you are in your life and how you want to express yourself,” she said.

“A woman in her twenties may have very different needs from a woman in her forties or a mother balancing family and career, but that does not mean that style has to become complicated.”

The event allowed participating fashion retailers to showcase their products in a shared setting, with guests able to try on clothing and receive styling insights aimed at helping them make more deliberate purchasing decisions.

For Galleria, the event is part of a broader strategy to reposition shopping as an experience combining retail, entertainment, lifestyle and community engagement.

“Today’s consumer is looking for more than a place to shop. They are looking for experiences, discovery, connection and reasons to spend meaningful time in a destination,” said Faith Adhiambo, Marketing Manager at Galleria Mall.

She said the event provided retailers with an opportunity to interact with customers in a more experiential environment while allowing the mall to strengthen its connection with its audience.

The fashion event forms part of Galleria Mall’s “Experience Different” positioning, which seeks to extend the shopping centre’s appeal beyond traditional retail.

Shopping malls across the region are increasingly incorporating events, entertainment, dining and lifestyle activities as they compete for customer traffic and seek to encourage shoppers to spend more time within their premises.

For fashion retailers, such events also provide an opportunity to move beyond transactional sales by allowing customers to interact with brands, receive personalised advice and discover products in a social setting.