Interior design, a valuable business resource for Lebanese malls the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Consumer Behavior is a continuous challenge for all marketers. People’s attitude might change from one day to another, and their perception on product quality and environment choice is affected most importantly by the design and atmosphere of the space. The critical economic crisis of Lebanon, in parallel with the coronavirus pandemic, had an evident influence on malls’ consumer behavior. The article presents the results of a survey on the Lebanese population conducted by the author in November 2021, focusing mainly on shopping mall customers and on the impact of COVID-19 on their behavior. The study proves that shopping malls interior design can be a valuable business resource, and outlines to what extend mall owners can benefit from this feature by applying new measurements to attract people’s attention, bring them back to their physical shopping and reassure their presence in shops; especially that the imposed COVID-19 lockdown and the economic crisis of the country indulged people to cocoon at home and rely on online services. This article also states different safety measures, in design, that can be taken in consideration to encourage customers to socialize in malls. It explains what is meant by Interior Design and the different components of design that can enhance the space and its circulation and therefore its functionality to gain more potential customers and increase the purchases and services.