Kids: shop, don’t strop!
NewRiver recruit child psychologist to help parents
tame toddler temper tantrums in their shopping centres
The all too familiar experience of witnessing a toddler meltdown in public is inhibiting mums and dads from hitting the shops, according to research commissioned by NewRiver – which owns and operates The Promenades Shopping Centre, in Brid. Two in five (38%) from Yorkshire complained about their child having a tantrum while shopping and one in five (20%) with children of school age said they avoid going to the shops for fear their offspring might misbehave.
The UK wide poll of 2,000 parents highlighted a need to help solve a common problem for customers shopping with young children in tow, as 1 in 5 of parents surveyed even confessed to having to leave a shop because of their child’s bad behaviour. Mum’s are seen to be the most self-conscious, with a third (32%) saying they felt judged in a shop when their kid started playing up, compared to just 1 in 5 of dads (22%). However, men admitted that they were the quickest to turn their noses up at mischievous children with 42% of those polled saying they have judged another parent whose child was misbehaving.
NewRiver is one of the UK’s largest shopping centre owner/managers with 33 community shopping centres including one of Bridlington’s busiest retail destinations, The Promenades. It has been looking at ways to improve the retail experience for families with young children and has brought on board child psychologist Dr Sam Wass. Sam, who appears in Channel 4’s The Secret Life of Four Year Olds series, suggest ways to help understand the reasons behind shopping centre temper tantrums:
“Most children throw tantrums at some point – but, of all the times when they might misbehave, shopping is one of the most common,” Dr Sam Wass comments. “From a scientific point of view, we understand quite well why this is. Children tend to be more up and down in their moods than adults are – and are more affected by moving from a calm environment to a stressful one. Shops tend to be full of unfamiliar people and can be quite an unstructured and unpredictable experience. Children can feel they have no control over what happens next which can cause anxiety.
“A quarter (25%) of UK parents surveyed confessed to using sweets and other bribery tactics to improve the retail experience – but this can be quite counter-productive. The more presents you buy for children, the more presents or treats they will ask for. This might calm a child in the short term – but in the long term it can lead to further oppositional behaviours and naughtiness. Instead of costly gifts, try buying healthy snacks which are still considered a ‘treat’ for the child.”
Dr Sam Wass has worked with NewRiver to provide some top tips for parents to help manage the structure of shopping:
Taking a hands-on approach to asset management, NewRiver is developing a ‘Kids Club’ to enhance the retail experience for families shopping across its centres. With the help of Dr Sam Wass, NewRiver will be rolling out a series of initiatives to help parents feel more at ease when shopping with their kids. NewRiver will be training local security teams in ‘tantrum taming’ this summer as well as implementing tactics such as treasure trails, free play areas and activities for children in their food courts, creating a more relaxed dining experience for the family.
Carl Brown, centre manager at The Promenades, said: “Most of us have all experienced our own kids having a meltdown or felt the pain of other parents struggle to keep their toddler happy while shopping. At The Promenades we’ve been working with Sam to come up with several tactics to make shopping more fun for small children. Our Kids Club will offer free events for children throughout the year, special offers for parents who sign up, and a ‘child safe’ scheme giving parents piece of mind when out shopping. Based on our research, we believe this will help keep children amused and incentivise good behaviour meaning happy families all round.”
For more insights and advice from Dr Sam Wass on shopping with children, and details of NewRiver’s Kids Club, please visit: www.nrrr.co.uk/kidsclub
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact Golley Slater London PR:
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Notes to editors
NewRiver is a leading property investor, asset manager and developer specialising in convenience-led community shopping centres in the UK. Since founded in 2009, NewRiver has maintained an occupancy rate above 94%, successfully leasing 1.3 million sq ft across 355 units.
NewRiver has a customer-first approach to its management strategy for a portfolio of 33 UK wide shopping centres based in towns such as Paisley in Scotland, Skegness, Middlesbrough, Bexleyheath and Carmarthen, catering to 150 million shoppers.
With consumer spend in store set to rise, NewRiver is bridging the gap between online and offline shopping, incorporating click and collect facilities across its portfolio. Its active approach to asset management and inbuilt risk-controlled development pipeline are well placed to continue delivering sustainable returns for NewRiver shareholders.
Open 7 days a week
Monday – Saturday : 8.30am till 6.00pm
Sunday: 10.00am – 4.30pm
The Promenades Shopping Centre, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, YO15 2DX
01262 401 730