How can shopping malls remain relevant in a retail landscape increasingly shaped by digital ecosystems, AI-driven commerce and changing customer behavior? This was the central question discussed during the first ACROSS ACADEMY Executive Masterclass, “Enabling Shopping Malls to Build Omnichannel Strategies That Work”, led by Cliff Pfefferkorn, Founder and Managing Partner of eStrategy Consulting, in Vienna on May 20.
The one-day executive format, held at Bene Meeting Suites brought together an international group of retail real estate professionals from across Europe, including representatives from Trinity Capital Bulgaria, BIG CEE Serbia, McArthurGlen, CC Real, FREY ROS Retail Outlet Shopping and SEP Shopping Center Gmunden.
Rather than focusing on isolated digital tools or marketing tactics, the masterclass explored how digital channels, data and artificial intelligence are fundamentally reshaping the strategic role of physical retail destinations. Throughout the day, the discussions moved far beyond the traditional understanding of omnichannel retail.
“The challenge is not how to fight e-commerce,” Cliff Pfefferkorn emphasized during the workshop. “The challenge is how placemakers can use digital channels to become more valuable.”
Retail Is No Longer Divided Into “Physical” and “Digital”
A central theme of the masterclass was the observation that the traditional distinction between physical and digital retail is increasingly disappearing. Customer journeys today often begin online—long before consumers enter a shopping destination.
Pfefferkorn illustrated how product discovery, local search behavior, loyalty systems and AI-supported recommendations are changing the way consumers interact with retail environments. Particularly discussed was the growing influence of platforms, marketplaces and AI-driven shopping interfaces on future retail behavior.
“The online customer journey no longer starts with a store,” Pfefferkorn explained. “It starts with a product.”
Participants discussed how this shift fundamentally changes the strategic role of shopping malls. Instead of acting merely as collections of stores, destinations increasingly need to position themselves as integrated ecosystems capable of combining retail, services, leisure and convenience into coherent customer experiences.
Several discussions focused on the rapid evolution of AI-supported commerce and so-called “agentic commerce”. Pfefferkorn described scenarios in which AI agents may increasingly guide consumers through product discovery, local shopping decisions and even the organization of daily activities.
“If users ask AI where they can find a product nearby, shopping malls have to ensure that they are part of that answer,” he noted.
One particularly lively discussion revolved around the future role of aggregated tenant data and how shopping malls could eventually position themselves as “one-stop destinations” for AI-driven shopper journeys by integrating information on products, services and availability across tenants.
Customer Centricity as a Strategic Challenge
Another recurring topic throughout the workshop was customer centricity—and the difficulty many organizations still face in truly understanding changing consumer behavior.
Participants openly exchanged experiences regarding loyalty programs, e-commerce integrations, influencer strategies and the challenges of adapting omnichannel concepts to different catchment areas and market realities.
The discussions highlighted that there is no universal omnichannel solution that works equally across all retail destinations. Instead, digital strategies need to reflect local customer expectations, operational realities and the specific identity of each asset.
“Every mall must be like a bespoke suit for its catchment area,” Pfefferkorn said, referring to a quote by Alexander Otto that framed part of the strategic discussion.
The workshop also addressed the operational realities behind innovation projects. Participants discussed the importance of testing ideas quickly, validating assumptions and avoiding large-scale investments before concepts have been sufficiently proven.
“Customer centricity is often a mindset challenge,” Pfefferkorn observed during one of the exchanges. “Management teams have to accept that customer behavior is changing much faster than the instincts they have developed over decades.”
This open exchange of both successful initiatives and failed experiments became one of the defining characteristics of the masterclass. Discussions ranged from loyalty program fatigue and digital adoption challenges to influencer marketing, customer research methodologies and the limitations of traditional data collection approaches.
From Theory to Strategic Application
The masterclass combined keynote presentations, strategic frameworks and collaborative working sessions. Topics included retail transformation and omnichannel trends, conversational and AI-driven commerce, customer-centric strategy development and the building blocks required to design and implement omnichannel strategies for shopping malls.
During the afternoon sessions, participants worked in groups on different shopping mall personas and developed strategic approaches tailored to specific retail environments. Discussions explored questions around customer value creation, tenant integration, operational capabilities, KPI frameworks and implementation priorities.
Pfefferkorn repeatedly stressed the importance of experimentation and iterative learning when developing digital strategies.
“You have to test strategic bets quickly and lean,” he explained. “The moment innovation becomes too expensive, organizations stop experimenting.”
The workshop concluded with group presentations, reflections and discussions about how participants could translate the insights into their own organizations.
A New Executive Learning Format for the Industry
The event also demonstrated the broader ambition behind the newly launched ACROSS ACADEMY: creating smaller, highly curated executive formats that combine strategic insight, practical learning and direct peer exchange across the European retail real estate industry.
The atmosphere throughout the day was highly interactive and discussion-driven—exactly the type of executive exchange the ACROSS ACADEMY aims to foster through its future masterclasses, Retail Talks and Placemaking Safaris.
The next ACROSS ACADEMY Masterclass on Leasing Strategies is sceduled for September, 24 and will be led by senior industry expert Klaus Striebich of RaRE Advise. Registration is already open.
Further ACROSS ACADEMY formats are already in preparation.
ABOUT CLIFF PFEFFERKORN & eSTRATEGY
Cliff Pfefferkorn
Cliff Pfefferkorn is the Founder and Managing Partner of eStrategy Consulting.
For more than 25 years, he has advised companies on how to understand digital transformation, build compelling customer experiences, and develop sustainable business and operating models in rapidly changing markets.
Before founding eStrategy Consulting, he worked with several international consulting firms specializing in digital transformation in Berlin, Hamburg, London, and Atlanta.
Cliff is a U.S. citizen who grew up in Berlin. He studied marketing and economics in Berlin and London and lives in Berlin with his wife and two children.
eStrategy Consulting
Is a boutique consulting firm based in Berlin specializing in digital innovation and transformation.
The firm helps organizations develop clear, actionable strategies for:
- digital business models
- omnichannel marketing and e-commerce
- data and AI applications
- operational excellence.
In addition to strategy development, eStrategy Consulting also supports and manages implementation in close collaboration with client teams.
The firm has extensive experience working with:
- retail and real estate organizations
- online marketplaces
- brands and manufacturers
- financial services
- telecommunications
- public sector organizations.
