Mr. Jitender Chhabra, Co-Founder of SkyJumper Sports and Amusements Private Limited
India’s retail environment is experiencing a dynamic transformation, with malls transforming from transactional venues to lively, experience-driven hotspots. The spaces were dominated by multiplexes and departmental stores in the past, but now malls are re-establishing their role in light of changing consumer needs. Consumers no longer seek just products, but they also look for interaction, social interaction, and long-lasting experiences. This has resulted in increased focus on entertainment as a mainstay rather than an ancillary entertainment. Family entertainment centers, including bowling, trampoline parks, soft play areas, VR, arcade games, and many more interactive experiences, are assisting malls in generating footfall, dwell time, and establishing greater emotional ties with multi-generational groups.
From Retail Spaces to Experience Drivers
Historically, malls were dominated by large department stores or multiplex cinemas. These were the core traffic generators around which other businesses revolved. With time, food courts and play zones entered the mix, enhancing the mall experience. But now, the emphasis is on experiences, interactive fun that provides happiness, and shareability in the moment. Active-play areas, especially trampoline parks, meet this very need by providing multi-attraction formats that feature jump arenas, obstacle courses, laser tag, and party configurations. The ascendance of these formats is not a fleeting fad, because it’s part of a sweeping consumer culture shift in which experience becomes more important than ownership.
Choosing Space Is the Real Challenge
The biggest constraint in scaling these entertainment concepts is the availability of suitable space. Trampoline parks can’t function in 3,000 sq. ft. corners tucked between retail brands, as they need wide, open layouts with high ceilings and room for safety zones. Yet, many malls are still built with a retail-first mindset, limiting the flexibility of space usage.
“Mall developers need to stop thinking of entertainment as an afterthought and start treating it as the main anchor. Large-format entertainment brands like ours aren’t just filling space — we’re building reasons for families, kids, and communities to keep coming back. The malls of tomorrow will be built around play, not just purchase.When developers accommodate that upfront, we don’t just fill the space — we activate it. The results show up in footfalls, tenant stickiness, and viral customer moments, says Jitender Chhabra, Co-Founder of SkyJumper.
Bigger Spaces, Bigger Returns
For developers, dedicating such large areas to entertainment may seem ambitious, but the returns often outweigh the risks. These formats deliver:
- Stable, long-term leases: Unlike seasonal pop-ups, trampoline parks are long-term commitments that reduce turnover and vacancy costs.
- Increased dwell time: Guests typically spend more time in malls, which often translates into higher wallet share across food and retail outlets.
- Cross-spend opportunities: Visitors rarely exit after just jumping; they shop, eat, and explore, benefiting neighboring tenants.
- Event-driven revenue: Birthday parties, school visits, and team outings keep the space active even on weekdays.
A Preferred Space for All Ages
One of the greatest strengths of entertainment hubs is their broad appeal. Children enjoy the freedom to jump and play, teenagers are drawn to aesthetics and thrill, while parents value clean, safe, and engaging environments. Such spaces bring together multiple generations, transforming casual visits into shared rituals and reinforcing long-term loyalty to the mall as a preferred destination.
Activating Non-Prime Spaces
Unlike retail stores that demand visibility near entrances or escalators, trampoline parks can grow in less-trafficked areas such as top floors or end wings, provided the space meets height requirements, typically around 22 feet. These formats are ideal for activating parts of the mall that often go underutilized or yield lower rent. By transforming such non-prime zones into high-footfall destinations, developers can significantly boost overall ROI per square foot.
One of the most compelling advantages of entertainment formats is their inherent shareability. Jump sessions, laser tag duels, and high-energy moments are frequently captured and shared across Instagram reels, WhatsApp stories, and YouTube vlogs. This user-generated content acts as organic advertising, positioning the mall as a buzzworthy hotspot without heavy promotional budgets. Every guest becomes an influencer, amplifying the mall’s visibility far beyond its physical boundaries.
Why Developers Should Take the Leap
Here’s a quick look at the value entertainment anchors bring:
- Higher weekday footfall through school tie-ups and corporate bookings
- Increased spending across other mall zones, boosting overall revenue
- Greater lease stability, with operators committing for multiple years
- Better space utilization, especially for difficult-to-lease areas
- Marketing multiplier effect, thanks to highly shareable content
The mall of tomorrow won’t just be a collection of stores; it will be a destination built on emotion, engagement, and energy. As e-commerce continues to disrupt traditional shopping patterns, physical spaces must evolve into places where people come to live moments, not just to spend money.
Trampoline parks and similar entertainment formats hold the key to this evolution if developers are willing to make room for them. Space may be the biggest challenge, but it’s also the biggest opportunity. Because when people come to play, they stay, spend, and share, and that’s the kind of impact no retail outlet alone can promise.
