Navigating the Mall Renaissance with Marina Satoafaiga: Adapting and Thriving at The Shops at Montebello Amidst a Pandemic

What’s it like to try to run a mall during the height of the COVID pandemic and lockdowns? Today’s guest knows. Marina Satoafaiga is the Marketing and Business Development Manager at The Shops at Montebello and she has a lot to say about how the community around the Shops at Montebello was affected by the pandemic and the changes since, and how the changes in the community affected retailers.

Listen to Marina talk about how to connect and engage with shoppers during a pandemic, interactions that are coming back now that restrictions are easing, and consumer behavior changes that will stick around post-pandemic.

Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:

✔ Marina’s role and what her day-to-day looks like
✔ What it’s like managing a shopping mall during COVID
✔ What Marina did to connect with customers as the pandemic began
✔ Interactions that went away during COVID that are coming back now
✔ Consumer behaviors that are going to stay post-COVID
✔ Marina’s example of a consumer experience
✔ Marina’s favorite experience
✔ Technologies that have been adopted at the Shops at Montebello
✔ Foreshadowing the future of retail
✔ Marina’s advice for retailers
✔ Where Marina recommends going in Southern California

Resources:

Marina Satoafaiga

QUOTES:

“Like any crisis or any pandemic, the communication departments are really the ones leading the way.”

“Our center’s really a conduit for community.”

“For me, and I keep saying it in this podcast, community has always been my favorite.”