Montreal’s Royalmount mall not getting holiday shopping traffic [Video]

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, but at the recently opened Royalmount shopping mall in Montreal, the hallways feel empty.

CEO and owner Andrew Lufty says, however, that it’s all part of the growing pains. He said that though the crowds may not be huge, those that are shopping tend to spend more.

“Of course we focus on numbers of customers and traffic, but conversion is actually probably more important than numbers of customers because in the end it’s about translating to sales,” he said.

Marketing expert Vivek Astvansh said that empty halls aren’t as bad they might seem on social media.

“Luxury means exclusivity,” he said. “You want fewer people. You want only the people who are interested in buying expensive items.”

While 80 per cent of the stores at the mall have opened, others are still not ready and will miss out on the holiday season.

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