By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Any questions about the future of Slidell’s first retail shopping mall, in light of another retail center opening in Slidell next year, are being answered by a campaign at North Shore Square mall that is involving local residents with stores there.
North Shore Square was Slidell’s first mega shopping area when it was built in 1985 and remained the most popular shopping area in the community since that time, being followed by more national stores across the street on North Shore Boulevard, and on the other side of Interstate 12 with a secondary shopping area.
Slidell is now watching its second shopping area under construction off the Fremaux Avenue exit of Interstate 10, where Stirling Properties is building the Fremaux Town Center, that will feature nearly 300,000 square feet of shopping area.
The beginning of the Town Center has raised questions from some Slidell officials about how well North Shore Square will fare, and one of the major anchor stores at the mall has already announced it will be opening an anchor store at Phase II of the Town Center. Dillard’s has still not confirmed if they will have two locations in Slidell when they are part of Phase II in 2015, or if they will move to the Town Center.
Despite the questions about the future of North Shore Square, management with the original Slidell mall has been answering some of those questions with a major campaign to improve the center, and bring in local residents to remind them of the many stores still offering an increasing number of shopping options there.
The mall just completed an innovation campaign called “Casting Call,” that offered local residents, age 4 and up, a chance to be named one of the models for North Shore Square advertising. Applicants had to enter with a written entry and were judged 75 percent on their appearance, and 25 percent on their input through the entry. The overall grand prize winner received a $500 gift card to the mall.
In the end, eight winners, of different ages were selected including two alternates.
Six of the winners were from Slidell, one from Covington, one from Madisonville, and two from Carriere, Ms. Winners included very young children, teens, young adults and middle age entries.
The winners, most of whom are not professional models in any way, will be included in many different advertising outlets by the mall, including newspaper ads, Facebook promotions, billboards and more.
“It’s very exciting for us to have such a great response to this contest, and it’s very exciting for these winners to have the opportunity to get exposure through our campaign,” North Shore Square Regional Property Manager Dawn Becker said.
The campaign is just the start of an ongoing effort by the mall to make certain shoppers throughout the region know they are “here to stay,” as Becker answered, when asked about some questions circulating through the community.
“We are fully aware of the Town Center and other shopping areas, like the new one in Covington,” she said. “But we are committed to this property and have been making plans to remain competitive and very viable.
“We actually see more stores as a plus for all of us because it draws more shoppers to this area when they see the variety of places they can go,” she said. “There will always be competition, but we think more retail compliments what we have in the area. And besides, shoppers are very mobile and will go anywhere they see great retail.”
Becker said the idea for the contest came in a marketing meeting from the vice-president of operations, seeing it as a campaign to engage the public in the mall.
“We wanted to get people involved in North Shore Square and we certainly have done that,” Becker said. “We have had great feedback on the contest after we had over 200 entries.”
Becker said the mall has continued improvements to its property in the past year and is considering other plans to enhance what they already offer, including the possibility of filling in the pond at the front of the property, to provide more out-parcel space where restaurants could be built.
“We have been looking at some restaurants on the out-parcels, and while we don’t have anyone confirmed yet, we see that as a real possibility for us to bring in new stores,” she added.
Becker said the mall has other plans to continue marketing North Shore Square in a high-profile way. In the meantime, she said the area residents who won the Casting Call contest will soon be seen in ads throughout the region.