In an age when you don’t even need to leave bed to shop, it’s only normal that malls on the decline. Yet, no matter how many statistic claim that boutique shopping is on the rise, us mall advocates, in favour of the one-stop-shops, know that malls are here to stay. When it comes to shopping, there’s no competition. The perks of malls are unrivalled, and also untapped. Here are 11 free mall services you never knew existed.
Personal Shopping
Wanting to hit refresh on your wardrobe? Give your mall a call and find out if they’re one of the trendy ones to offer a free personal shopping by appointment. And if they don’t, there’s always stores like Topshop and Nordstrom who offer the service independently.
Wifi
If you’re anything like us and get texts from your cellphone provider every month about data overage, then you’re always on the hunt for free wifi. Lucky for you, almost all malls now offer free wifi. Next time you’re out shopping, make sure to remember to hop onto the free wifi before you hit the shops, or check in to see if the individual store you’re in has their own network for stronger connection.
Strollers and Wheelchairs
Because nothing should keep you from shopping, not even a broken leg or last minute babysitter cancellation. Keep in mind most malls will require some sort of deposit, so grab a couple bills to hand over temporarily before you head over.
Phone Chargers
As a technology obsessed generation, a cellphone being at 1% is a category 5 emergency. Good news is, your phone will never die at the mall ever again. Just head over to the customer service station and hook up your phone to their free charging station — just be sure to bring a credit card as collateral if you want to keep your phone locked up. If your mall is next level, you might even get your hands on a portable phone charger so you can shop and charge at the same time.
Parcel/Coat Check
Before you leave your jacket in the car and make a dash for the entrance, check online to see if your mall provides free coat check (and with Canadian winter coats weighing around 10 pounds on average, we think it should be mandatory). Some malls will even check luggages and purchases, because no one likes sitting next to a pile of bags in the food court.
Events and Shows
Malls have some awesome promotional events and shows over the year, especially during the holidays. Ok, ok. It’s probably not going to be Shawn Mendes, but hey, it’s always completely free.
Free Shuttle Busses
Is your favourite mall a little off the subway line? You might want to check if they have a free shuttle bus that’ll take you right to their door. Vaughan Mills was the first to do it, and luckily for us, a lot of malls are taking note.
Contests
Why not enter a free contest to win free money? Keep an eye out on your mall’s social media channels for contests. In the meantime, make a dream board of all the things you’ll buy.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
In the wake of the electric vehicle revolution, before you grab a spot close to the door, it might be worth taking an extra drive around the parking lot to scan for a free charging station.
Mobile App
Download your local mall’s app and never make laps looking for a store again. Plus, you can keep up to date on sales, promotions and mall events.
Mall Tour
And if you want to know everything your mall has to offer, book a mall tour for a full service and shop breakdown from an employee themselves. Of course, you’ll have to book in advance.
Did we miss any of the best free mall services on our list? Let us know in the comment section.
Featured Image: Instagram/@jeemattos
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