HAPPY RETURNS: One mall will return your online purchases, hoping to bring in customers

By Denise Rosch | Dec 02, 2019

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Dressed up and ready for business, the holiday shopping season is now in full swing.

For many Americans, a big part of that tradition has shifted. Online buying is now a strong competitor of the American shopping mall.

“You can do it at 1:00 in the morning, you can do it at 5:00 the morning,” said Charlotte Carrier, a regular keyboard buyer. “You don't have to worry about stores being opened or closed and you save on gas right?”

But there is one drawback--when that online purchase turns out to be less than perfect.

“My husband is like, you are the worst, stop returning things,” Carrier said. “You spend more money when you go to return things, just let other people return them for you.”

Now, someone will.

“If they're not so happy with their purchase they can come here and return the items to us,” said Vicki Rousseau, the area director of Marketing for the Las Vegas Premium Outlets.

In October, the Las Vegas South Premium Outlets began offering a new service, called: Happy Returns. Participating online retailers are giving customers an alternative to waiting at the post office with send backs.

“The two things that alleviate stress for them is one, they get immediate credit,” Rousseau said. “They don't have to wait for the items to get back to those retailers. And two, they don't have to hassle with how are they going to return these items.”

So, what's in it for the mall? Once you're here, you might decide to do a little more shopping. Check out what they have to offer.

Just one example of shopping centers evolving. Expanding beyond what was once the norm. Case in point: The Boulevard Mall.

“Once they come here, they come back,” says Timo Kuusela, The Boulevard's Vice President and General Manager.

With not a single major anchor store left like Macy's or Sears, his mall is taking a different approach.

“What we're focused on is entertainment, hands-on experience,” said Kuusela. “We're also housing some of the largest employers in the area.”

From Galaxy Luxury Theaters to SeaQuest aquarium, Kuusela says these are experiences you can't get online. Couple that with a medical call center on-site, and he says the boulevard now hosts the equivalent of a small city.

Of course, there is shopping. But it’s no longer driven by department stores.

“I think when people are looking for a product they're online comparing the price, sorting from lowest price to highest price and you just can't compete with that,” said Kuusela.

As for Charlotte, she appreciates any service that might make online shopping easier. And this one is right there in the name: Happy Returns.

“I think it would be great because if you're there anyway, you can kill two birds with one stone,” Charlotte said. “So, I think it would be super useful.”

Article was originally published here.