Dating back thousands of years, Tsawwassen First Nations have lived continuously in south coastal British Columbia (B.C.). Their identity is deeply connected to their land base and approximately half of the tribe’s 430 members live on Tsawwassen lands, which is comprised of 1,790 acres (724 hectares).
Opened in October 2016, Tsawwassen Mills Mall is an aboriginal-themed mall, built by Ivanhoe Cambridge, that will change the face of retail in the Lower Mainland in B. C. The mall, which took two years of construction, has 1.2 million square feet of retail space and is the fourth largest in Metro Vancouver. The $600-million complex, with 180 stores and a 1,100-seat food court, is located on Tsawwassen First Nation land.
The mall’s environment presented some unique design challenges. Since the facility is so large, Ivanhoe Cambridge wanted LED video displays big enough to attract shoppers as well as provide customers with an entrance experience without losing resolution quality. Additionally, due to zoning regulations, the displays needed to be mounted in the interior yet visible from the parking lot through the glass curtain walls’ entrances. This posed a test given the bright interior lighting conditions and constantly changing exterior circumstances, such as weather and time of day.
To complement the scale of the site and address the other challenges Pattison Sign Group selected California-based Optec Displays’, Inc., Infinity Series LED display. The 16mm, 352×656 matrix panels, which measure 18.5ft x 34.5ft unframed and 20ft x 38ft framed, fasten together for an easy installation.
British Columbia-based NorthStar Signs mounted these displays with custom brackets at entrances 1 and 2 on the interior. Their size allows them to be seen from up to 325 feet (100 meters) away through the glass curtain walls. The high-quality resolution, vivid color and excellent clarity make the videos and graphics easy to see regardless of time of day or weather conditions.
Its high-efficiency design also allows the screens to overcome the bright interior lighting conditions without pushing electrical components to their limits – saving energy, increasing reliability and extending lifetime.
Optec’s LED display technology is dependable and sustainable. In fact, the Infinity-RGB has a life expectancy of over 100,000 hours, which is over 11 years if they are running 24-hours a day, along with an extensive warranty lasting multiple years. Additionally, Tsawwassen Mills has peace of mind knowing that Optec offers technical support to help manage the displays. This level of durability and reliability gives Ivanhoe increased visibility and lasting value.
“It was an easy decision to partner with Optec Displays on this project because we align ourselves with companies that have the same business philosophy as Pattison,” said Chad Bedore, estimating manager Pattison Sign Group. “We have a long-term working relationship with Optec Displays and know the high quality of their products and service.”
Digital displays, like the Infinity-RGB, create targeted and persuasive messages that address exactly what consumers are looking for in retail environments to influence purchase decisions. The displays are operating on Optec’s proprietary software SI-o6 media player with MEPro Plus II and are currently playing a 12-minute video loop featuring fashion images, which reinforce a positive shopping experience as well as serving as a powerful consumer engagement solution.
“These signs are an entrance experience,” commented Jeff Brown, director, Tsawwassen Mills Development, “They are a fundamental component of the shopping center’s operations and are vital in enhancing the shoppers’ experience by educating them on product offerings, brand awareness and reinforcing a positive shopping experience at the mall,” continued Brown.
In the future, these signs will display mall and store information, as well as communication about events, exhibitions, dining and store and mall offers. Today, when shopping malls provide a lot more experience than just shopping, large displays with compelling visuals become essential for the customers’ involvement.
“It’s been a great working with Optec Displays,” added Brown. “These displays are the perfect marketing tool for the mall and to enhance our customers’ experience.”
I ANTICIPATED SEEING IMPRESSIVE RESULTS BUT I WAS ASTOUNDED
BY THE RESPONSE AND INCREASED SALES THE SIGN GENERATES.
Optec’s array of LED products span high-growth markets from indoor spectaculars to outdoor displays. Our solutions work to give clients increased visibility and lasting value through our innovative products, services, and support.