For years, mall operators have watched a quiet transfer of value happen inside their own properties.
Retailers pay rent for access to your visitors. Then those same visitors open Entertainer or a bank rewards app to unlock deals — handing their data, their attention, and their loyalty to a platform that has no stake in your mall’s success.
The programs profit. Your tenants pay twice. And you see none of it.
The data problem is bigger than it looks
When a shopper redeems an Entertainer deal at a restaurant in your mall, Entertainer knows:
- Which tenant they visited
- How often they come back
- What offer prompted the visit
- Whether they churned to a competitor property
You know none of this. You own the physical space, you fund the footfall through marketing and events, and yet the behavioural data that would let you make smarter leasing decisions, plan better campaigns, and retain anchor tenants — all of it sits on someone else’s server.
Why now
Two things have changed.
First, wallet-based passes have reached mainstream adoption. Apple Wallet and Google Wallet are preinstalled on every smartphone. The friction of “download our app” — which killed earlier generations of mall loyalty programs — is gone. A shopper can add your pass in under ten seconds with no app store, no account creation, no storage anxiety.
Second, the commission pressure on tenants has become visible. F&B operators in particular are increasingly vocal about the cost of third-party platforms. A mall that offers a direct, lower-friction alternative starts looking like a genuine partner rather than just a landlord.
What owning the relationship actually means
A branded mall pass isn’t just a loyalty card. It’s a direct communication channel — one you control entirely.
When Ramadan arrives, you push a campaign. When a new tenant opens, you notify your members before anyone else. When a flash sale runs on a Tuesday afternoon, you can fill a quiet trading period without paying a third party for the privilege.
The pass also compounds over time. Every visit, every redemption, every notification tap builds a profile of your shopper base that belongs to you. Who visits weekly versus monthly. Which tenants drive repeat visits. Which campaigns move people from one zone of the mall to another.
That data is the real asset — and right now, you’re giving it away.
Starting small is the right move
The temptation with any new platform is to launch everything at once. Resist it.
The most successful rollouts we’ve seen start with three to five high-participation tenants — typically quick-service dining, a parking incentive, and one anchor retailer. They give shoppers an immediate reason to add the pass, and they give your team a manageable launch scope.
From there, adoption is self-reinforcing. More tenants want to participate when they see the channel working. And shoppers check the pass more often when new offers appear regularly.
The infrastructure does the heavy lifting. Your team stays focused on the relationships.
Next Wave is a white-label rewards platform for mall operators. If you’re evaluating alternatives to third-party loyalty programs, get in touch.