Generation Y Adults' Shopping Mall Preference: In Malaysia Perspective

Malaysia Generation Y adults love to visit the mall. They visit the shopping mall very frequent at least 1 - 2 times a week. However, Generation Y adults treat shopping mall activities as a social activity. They prefer hanging out with friends. Prior to that, they follow and tag along with peers' opinion. As a result, their expenditure increases as they shop with friends. They are also loyal customer that will constantly visit the same stores each time they visit the shopping mall. Surprisingly, older Generation Y in Malaysia is not brand conscious. Other that visiting some branded stores they do visit stores that provide them the latest and updated trend.

A research conducted by Martin and Turley (2004), found that Generation Y adult in US are strongly motivated by objective. They emphasize on the value of product purchased. Conversely, the findings for this research, indicates that Generation Y adult in Malaysia are socially motivated mall shoppers. This group of Generation Y is seeking for excitement, overcome boredom and had highlighted the important of peer communication. Malaysian Generation Y adults emphasized very much on social activity. They enjoy the companion of their peers. Therefore, management of the mall should plan strategies that involve both Generation Y adults and their peers for example cafй, entertainment options or even Treasure Hunt Program that create opportunities for them to hang out together. It is very important to develop appropriate relationship marketing strategies to retain older Generation Y's loyalty towards the shopping mall. (Taylor & Cosenza, 2002)

However when compared both genders from the older Generation Y, the differences in mall shopping behavior, shopping motives and shopping mall preference found within them are minimal.

Shopping motives of older Generation Y are to hang out with friends. Malaysian male visits the mall for entertainment purpose, whereas compared to Hu & Jasper's research in UK, men use mall for purchasing unique product and had ranked entertainment least important during each visits to the shopping mall. The results agreed with Hu & Jasper's research,