How Do They Get Cars In The Mall?

ByKern Campbell

If you’ve ever been to the mall, chances are you’ve seen a car parked right under the brightest lights and in the center of the bustling action. They’re usually eye-catching and draw you to find out why it’s in the shopping center. But have you ever wondered exactly how they get the car in the mall in the first place?

How Do They Get Cars In The Mall 1 How Do They Get Cars In The Mall?

Table of Contents

How do they get cars in malls?

Car dealers and marketers get cars into malls pretty simply: they drive them in and park them. Malls have large doors at the loading dock and wide hallways that a car can fit through. If you see a car on the second floor of the mall, their must be a large freight elevator nearby.

It can seem impossible when the doors you come through only allow a few people to enter at a time. Malls are complex operations, however, and it turns out there are a few ways a car can be brought into the building.

Why Are There Cars in Malls?

Typically you’ll spot a car in a local mall for promotion or campaign, and shopping malls aren’t the only place you’ll find them. Sometimes they will even turn up in other locations like corporate headquarters or even hospitals.

Sometimes there, the car is up for sale or on auction, but sometimes there will be a raffle. You might notice that all you have to do is enter your name and number to win.

In any case, it’s a marketing strategy. The car dealership knows they can draw the interest of shoppers by displaying their vehicle where plenty of potential customers might see it. They know that the most expensive vehicles aren’t the main selling point as long as the car brings customers to their lot.

Getting the Car in the Mall

Figuring out how to get a car in a mall will depend primarily on where they want it displayed and how the mall is laid out. Although there is a popular theory that they are assembled there in the shopping center, this is not the case.

First Floor

Many malls only have one floor, so it may not be an option. In such cases, getting the car in the mall is typically pretty straightforward. They’ll be able to drive in where the facility receives its large shipments and bulky items, also known as a loading dock.

If this isn’t something the mall can do, then some locations will remove the building’s front doors to make room for the car to enter. Since most cars displayed in the mall aren’t very large, this isn’t hard to accommodate. 

How Do They Get Cars In The Mall 1 1 How Do They Get Cars In The Mall?

Second Floor

Sometimes the mall is large enough to have two floors, and the dealer is interested in displaying the vehicle on the second floor. If the mall can display it there, it must be brought up on an elevator. Although you might be able to lift it in with a crane, this isn’t a typical choice.

Freight elevators are for lifting heavy loads up to the top floors of a facility. In some cases, they are large enough to fit an entire vehicle. Most of the time, however, the mall will require large displays to be left on the first floor, where it’s easiest to get the car in and out. 

Effective Marketing Strategies

Displaying a vehicle in the mall is a great strategy since it gets so many eyes on the product. It’s also effective at catching people while they are already shopping, and the incentive to spend money is high. 

Even if people know they can’t logically purchase a luxury vehicle in the mall, they’ll still be more likely to check out that particular brand. People will be interested in seeing what other cars are available from the dealer, making it much easier to funnel them toward a purchase.

Malls are also the perfect environment for selling a car since they are well-lit, large, and attractive. A lot of effort goes into making the products look good in the building, so it’s easy for the dealer to simply drop it off and let the atmosphere do the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

You’re not alone if you’re still curious about why dealerships would choose to market their vehicles in a mall. Here are a few frequently asked questions on the subject.

How do I display my vehicle in a mall?

You might be interested in asking the mall to display your car if you’re a dealership owner. To do this, you will need to contact the facility’s owner or property manager. In most cases, you will need to be a fairly well-known business to have your vehicle displayed. The mall won’t be interested in advertising vehicles that people won’t recognize.

There are other ways to advertise your business, of course. If your dealership isn’t popular enough yet to get a deal with the mall, work on expanding your client base by other means. 

Is it safe to buy a car at the mall?

If you decide to purchase the car that is displayed, you might be interested to find out whether or not the buying process is secure. Chances are you won’t make the final purchase in the mall itself. The dealership is who you’ll end up doing business with, so it likely won’t be any different than picking it up off the lot. 

If you want to avoid any potential conflict, it’s wise to wait to sign any paperwork until you’ve had a chance to book an appointment with the dealer. You might also consider speaking with the bank to finance your new purchase if you decide to go with a lease. 

Are the cars always for sale?

Most of the time, the car you see displayed in the mall is for sale, or they have the same vehicle on the lot waiting to be bought. Sometimes the vehicle serves another purpose, such as being a raffle prize. The dealership might donate the car to advertise its brand or gather contact information from potential clients. 

Final Thoughts

Walking by a car in the mall can be a strange experience, but it’s not as complicated as it may seem. The facility might even have a separate entrance if there isn’t a front door or loading dock large enough for the vehicle. Whichever way the dealership gets the car into the building, there’s no doubt it’s a great marketing technique.