The King of Prussia Mall is one of the largest shopping centers in the world, the largest mall on the East Coast, and arguably the largest mall in the United States. Begun in the 1960s and dramatically expanded and improved in subsequent decades, the mall is now home to over 400 stores, many of them upscale retailers. The mall is situated in the Philadelphia suburbs (about 25 miles from the headquarters of S.Walter Packaging), but it attracts visitors from all over the region and beyond (up to 25% of mall visitors are out-of-town tourists). To communicate with its customers and potential visitors, King of Prussia Mall sends regular direct mail pieces. The latest piece featured a cover photo of an arrangement of branded apparel, gift, and specialty boxes, many of which were created and supplied by S.Walter Packaging.
King of Prussia Mall is home to many leading retail stores. With two large structures joined by a pedestrian walkway, it features several anchoring department stores, including Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus. Many high-end retailers have their only area store in the mall. Cartier, DKNY, Lois Vuitton, and Hermes all have an outpost. Top name designers Gucci, Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Tory Burch have a space. Until one opened on Philadelphia’s tony Walnut Street shopping corridor, the area’s only Apple Store was in K-O-P (as it is known to locals). Of course, the mall is also home to outlets for such popular clothiers as Abercrombie & Firch, Gap, and H&M.
What all these stores share is a focus on appearance and brand identity. They understand that customers are not just attracted to the products they sell, but to the brand which those products represent. The statement ” I shop at Hugo Boss” says something about the person saying it, it places them in a identifiable comradery of Hugo Boss shoppers. Building a brand identity builds customer loyalty, attracts new customers, and most importantly, increases sales.
A solid brand identity depends in part on the products, and all these retailers sell quality merchandise. But it is about more than that. It is about the look of the store, its location and signage, the appearance of its salespeople, and the packaging it uses; what’s outside the box matters almost as much as what’s inside it. Wrapping products in color-coordinated tissue and placing them in custom printed gift boxes, like those on the King of Prussia mailer, tells customers that the store values its merchandise as much as they will. The packaging can then become something of value, so the necklace is returned to its Tiffany’s box and the shoes go back into their Cole Haan box. Attractive packaging will be carried proudly and reused, so it creates a natural advertising platform for a retail brand.
S. Walter Packaging is proud to see so many of our clients featured on the correspondence of one of the country’s largest and most upscale shopping complexes. We are firm believers in the power of custom and coordination packaging to carry the brand further. These retailers provide firm evidence that the finest stores share this belief.
Visit swalter.com to see our selection of coordinated packaging or contact us today so we can put our experience to work planning your custom packaging program.
