B.C. mall owner giving away $1M worth of gift cards

In an effort to draw people back into its stores, a company that runs three B.C. shopping malls plans to give away $1 million worth of gift cards this year.

Central Walk – which owns Mayfair Mall in Victoria, Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo and Tsawwassen Mills on the Lower Mainland – says monthly gift-card giveaway events will help build customer loyalty and community after the pandemic shifted many consumers' buying habits to online shopping. 

“We are still here and we want people to come back and shop in the malls again,” says Fan Sun, executive director for Central Walk.

Customers can use their phones to scan QR codes in person or go to the company’s social media sites (for each corresponding mall), to get a $10 gift card during the promotional events.

If shoppers spend over $100, they will have the chance to win even more.

Mayfair Mall recently hosted a gift card promotion on July 2, giving away 2,700 gift cards totaling $27,000 in one day.

“It was so successful, very fun, we had activities and played games,” says Sun.

Central Walk is planning to host more events at Mayfair Mall on the first Saturday of each month. 

“Our retailers are really enjoying the extra activities in the shopping centres,” says Laura Poland, general manager for Mayfair.

“It’s our way of committing to the communities and our way of having shoppers come back to our properties, stay, spend, and enjoy their time with us.”

The first monthly promotion at Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo is this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m and will feature 40 outdoor stalls, live music and gift card giveaways. It is first-come, first-served for the promotion totaling over $25,000. Once the cards are gone, no more will be offered until the next giveaway event. 

“It’s getting quite popular,” says Poland. “I would recommend for the Nanaimo folks that they come fairly quickly because it is while quantities last.”

Sun says Central Walk is committed to the community and wants to bring happiness to people by giving back with this promotion, which runs until the end of 2022.

“We will just keep giving the gift cards away until they are all gone,” says Sun.

The executive director says the company is working on a number of other initiatives to win back shoppers, everything from more restaurants to educational children’s play areas and new promotional events.