Walk into a modern mall in Amritsar, Mangalore, or Indore today, and you might find far more than rows of fashion stores and food courts. You might encounter a 360° dome experience that immerses you in light and sound, a pop-up art installation that doubles as a selfie magnet, or a cultural festival celebrating local craftsmanship. India’s retail real estate is undergoing a quiet but decisive transformation, especially in Tier-2 cities, where malls are no longer just shopping destinations, but lifestyle ecosystems designed to engage, entertain, and build community.
At the heart of this shift is a deep understanding that consumers in smaller cities are evolving rapidly. Rising disposable incomes, greater exposure to digital trends, and a growing appetite for entertainment and social experiences have redefined what people expect when they visit a mall. Increasingly, it’s not about what they buy but how they feel.
Nexus Select Malls, one of India’s largest retail destination developers, has been at the forefront of this transformation. As Nishank Joshi, Chief Marketing Officer, Nexus Select Trust, explains, “Our role has evolved from being traditional retail centres to becoming integrated lifestyle and experience destinations.” This evolution mirrors a broader industry trend where success is no longer measured merely by sales per square foot, but by engagement, dwell time, and emotional resonance.
From Shopping to Storytelling
At Nexus Select Malls, experience has become a core pillar of design and strategy. The company has steadily allocated a growing share of its spaces and event programming toward immersive experiences from large-scale art installations and tech activations to live cultural showcases and food festivals.
For example, properties like Nexus Amritsar’s ‘Lost World’ or Nexus Seawoods’ elaborate festive installations have redefined what experiential retail looks like in India. These are not just decorative attractions; they are content-generating, footfall-driving, and emotion-evoking experiences that turn every visit into a story worth sharing on social media.
This transformation is deliberate. Malls today are competing not just with other retail formats, but also with online shopping and digital entertainment. To stand out, they must offer something that can’t be replicated on a screen, an experience that engages multiple senses and connects people to a community. As Joshi notes, the focus now is on creating “phygital, experience-first environments that seamlessly blend commerce, culture, and community.”
The success of these experience-led formats is evident in the response from visitors. One of the standout examples Joshi points to is the 360° Dome Experience, an immersive installation that combined visuals, sound, and motion to create a multi-sensory journey. The initiative not only drew large crowds but also extended the average time people spent in the mall.
“We’ve seen tremendous success with activations that seamlessly blend culture, technology, and community engagement,” Joshi says. “Consumer response has been overwhelmingly positive, not just in terms of numbers, but also in sentiment.” Visitors aren’t just coming to shop; they’re returning for the atmosphere, the events, and the sense of belonging that these malls now foster.
Social media has played a significant role in amplifying this effect. Every art installation, festive décor, or tech activation becomes a shareable moment, transforming malls into digital-era town squares where culture and commerce intersect.
The result? Longer dwell times, more repeat visits, and higher brand recall for both the mall and the retailers within it.
