Forest City and PlaceWise Media introduce Shoptopia Network

Cleveland -- Forest City Commercial Management, in partnership with PlaceWise Media, announced Tuesday the launch of the Shoptopia Network.



Shoptopia combines online, social, mobile and digital screen-based communications into an interactive experience and relationship with consumers. This expansion of the original Shoptopia service, an online shopping community jointly created by Forest City and PlaceWise Media, is a network designed to enhance the relationship among malls, retailers, brands and shoppers with an interactive experience before, during and after shopping.



“The Shoptopia Network engages our shoppers with insights to all things fashionable, special offers and feedback from their peers,” said Jane Lisy, Forest City Enterprises VP of marketing for Commercial Management and chairwoman of the Shoptopia Network Advisory Board. “It’s a perfect integration of all the digital and physical shopping experiences. Shoppers are engaged, informed and rewarded for their participation.”



Shoptopia enables shoppers to gain insider knowledge and receive special offers, rewards and event invitations. Content is syndicated and broadcast through personal computers, mobile devices, tablets, and in-mall digital experience walls, providing consumers with real digital interactions that are natural extensions of the shopping experience.



As PlaceWise’s charter partner for the original Shoptopia community, Forest City conducted a two-year study to explore the future of retail center marketing. A key focus of the study was the need to better understand digital channels and their influence on both online and bricks-and-mortar purchasing habits. Finding that frequent online shoppers still highly value the in-mall shopping experience, Forest City recognized that the integration of social networking channels with in-mall shopping was necessary to engage shoppers and provide them with a complete experience.



At launch, Shoptopia is at 16 Forest City retail centers and will reach 12 million monthly shoppers. By the end of 2011, it is projected that the Shoptopia Network will include 150 retail centers and reach over 100 million monthly shoppers.