Amrith Gopinath on physical retail as a media network in the age of e-commerce

Over the past three decades, the humble shopping mall has evolved from a mere collection of stores into one of the most influential stages in the advertising and marketing landscape. Once defined by neon storefronts, glossy catalogues and seasonal sale banners, mall advertising was long prized for its ability to reach high-intent, captive audiences, visitors who arrived with leisure on their minds and purchase intent in their steps. Unlike roadside billboards or fleeting digital scrolls, malls offered memorable visual touchpoints where brands could engage consumers repeatedly as they shopped, dined, socialised and spent hours within curated environments. 

Research shows that mall environments significantly amplify brand exposure: 80% of shoppers notice mall ads and 40% express interest in exploring the promoted products further, a marker of how physical retail media can influence consideration and conversion in context-rich moments.

Beyond simple visibility, malls historically mattered because they aggregated diverse demographic groups, families, young professionals, high-spending urbanites, into spaces where dwell time, emotional engagement and social interaction became part of the consumer journey. In India, where festive and seasonal occasions account for 20–30% of annual retail sales, malls have been fertile grounds for campaigns that marry spectacle with commerce, driving both footfall and affinity.

As digital ecosystems matured, however, the advertising world began to question whether physical retail media could compete with the scale and targeting precision of online platforms. Yet instead of fading, the role of malls has expanded, integrating digital signage, experiential activations, phygital engagement and data-driven insights that bridge the gap between real-world presence and performance measurement. In this omnichannel era, malls are no longer just places to shop; they are living media networks where brands can create experiences, capture intent, and build relationships that span from awareness to conversion.

Today, large mall operators in India are rethinking how physical retail spaces function within the advertising and marketing ecosystem. As footfall recovers and consumer behaviour stabilises post-pandemic, malls are increasingly positioned not just as sites of transaction but as owned-media environments, where attention, intent, and time spent can be measured, packaged, and monetised. Investments in digital infrastructure, large-format brand experiences, curated events, and data-led initiatives are becoming central to how these spaces remain relevant in a world shaped by e-commerce, quick commerce, and social discovery.

Against this backdrop, conversations around retail media, experiential marketing, and the future of mall-led advertising are gaining momentum. In the following interview, Amrith Gopinath, CMO at DLF Retail, discusses how physical malls are being reimagined as media platforms, the role of data and technology in shaping in-mall engagement, and why experience-led retail continues to matter even as consumer journeys become increasingly digital.

Edited Excerpts: 

India’s retail media market is projected to reach $3.5 billion by 2030. How is DLF Retail positioning itself in this rapidly expanding landscape, and what is your vision for building a competitive retail media network within physical malls?

Retail media is a natural extension of the mall ecosystem for us; it’s not a bolt-on revenue stream. DLF malls sit at the intersection of attention, intent, and time spent, which is exactly what brands are chasing today.

Our vision is to build a premium, physical-first retail media network that combines high-impact in-mall media with data-backed audience insights. Unlike pure digital platforms, we are monetising real human presence, real dwell time and real purchase intent.

Over the next few years, we believe this will evolve into a full-funnel media platform, covering discovery, consideration, and conversion within the mall ecosystem. Today, brands largely look at malls for awareness, but given our captive audience and the right consumer profile, this will become a much more holistic marketing funnel.

With e-commerce platforms, quick commerce, and Amazon Ads emerging as competition for attention, what advantages does DLF’s physical retail media network offer that digital platforms cannot replicate? Could you also share insights on footfalls and brand visibility?

Digital platforms undoubtedly win on scale, but physical retail wins on context and credibility. Across the DLF mall portfolio, we see close to 50 million footfalls annually, and these are high-intent visits.

In a mall environment, people are not passively scrolling; they’ve come with a purpose, whether it’s shopping, dining, or watching a movie. That intent translates into a deeper and more focused attention span than digital can offer.

Malls also allow for multisensory engagement, visuals, sound, décor, installations, and immediate physical conversion through touch and feel. Digital and physical retail are not in competition; they coexist, each serving a different role in the consumer journey.

How are you structuring your retail media offerings? Are you leaning more towards digital media, experiential activations, sponsored events, or data-led audience targeting?

We see our retail media as a layered portfolio rather than a one-size-fits-all offering. Broadly, it falls into four buckets.

The first is high-impact digital signage across entrances, atriums, and dwell zones. Many of our malls are over a decade old, so we’ve actively upgraded from static imagery to advanced digital screens, including high-LED and curved formats that allow brands to tell richer stories.

The second bucket is experiential activations and installations. We work closely with brands, for instance, during Christmas, we partnered with Longines and Chanel to create immersive installations. We also invest in one-of-a-kind experiences, such as the Shiva immersive experience, a 360-degree VR-led storytelling activation.

The third bucket includes sponsored events, brand launches, and seasonal moments. The mall acts like a stadium—brands bring their storytelling, and we provide the platform to reach the right audience.

The final bucket is audience-led packages, using footfall patterns, dwell time, and category affinity to deliver targeted offerings.

Our pricing is premium, reflecting the quality of footfalls and catchments we operate in, from South Delhi to Noida to CyberHub, Gurgaon. Brands can opt for short-term bursts, festive takeovers, or long-term partnerships tied to seasonal campaigns, with a strong focus on flexibility and clear ROI visibility.

With e-commerce expected to grow from $75 billion in 2024 to $260 billion by 2030, and quick commerce offering 10-minute delivery, how are DLF malls positioning themselves in this convenience-driven environment?

If malls were only about transactions, we would be facing an existential crisis, but they’re not. Malls today are about experience, discovery, and social connection.

Quick commerce solves for convenience. Malls solve for aspiration, leisure, and emotional connection. Spending time with family, eating together, watching a movie—these are experiences that cannot be replicated digitally.

We also recognise that not all consumers want to spend five or six hours at a destination mall. That’s why we’re introducing a new format called the Plaza. This is a neighbourhood mall concept focused on everyday needs, groceries, salons, cafés, pet shops, designed for quick visits.

We’re opening our first Plaza in West Delhi’s Moti Nagar, followed by another in Gurgaon’s Sector 5. This isn’t a response to quick commerce, but a complementary format that aligns with evolving consumer behaviour.

Influencers now play a major role in shaping Gen Z consumption. Is influencer marketing a channel DLF actively uses, and have you seen changes in discovery patterns?

Absolutely. Our consumers—Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Gen X, and Millennials- spend a significant amount of time on social platforms. Influencer marketing has grown into a strong pillar of our strategy.

While mall handles have their limitations, influencers bring credibility, relatability, and trust. When aligned with our positioning, influencer collaborations significantly boost engagement and brand perception.

We work with a mix of macro and micro influencers. For example, we partnered with Kusha Kapila during the CyberHub relaunch. At the same time, we rely heavily on micro and local creators for authenticity and regional relevance.

The focus isn’t just promotion, it’s community building and discovery. However, the content has to be meaningful and tastefully executed. Content quality remains key.

Luxury consumption is no longer limited to metros, with demand rising from tier 2 and 3 cities. How is DLF adapting its premium strategy to cater to this shift?

Data across brands shows a clear rise in demand from tier 2 and 3 cities. While DLF’s portfolio is currently concentrated in Delhi NCR, we are opening our first large-format mall in Goa in about a year.

Interestingly, our existing malls are already seeing this shift. At Mall of India, Noida, a 2 million sq ft destination mall—we track vehicle data and have observed a 15–20% increase in cars coming from outstation locations such as Agra, Bareilly, and Meerut.

Improved connectivity has led families from tier 2 and 3 cities to visit destination malls over weekends, spending entire days there. Brands also tell us that many big-ticket purchases are driven by these visitors.

AI is transforming in-store experiences globally. Beyond data targeting, what AI-led innovations are you piloting or scaling across DLF properties?

AI is critical to our operations. Internally, we use it to integrate sales data, footfall data, and vehicle data to generate actionable insights.

Externally, the most exciting initiative we’ve launched in the past six months is the DLF Rewards Loyalty Program. It’s built entirely on an AI backbone. Shoppers scan a QR code, access a WhatsApp chatbot, upload their bills, and an AI-powered OCR system verifies the purchase and credits points instantly.

These points can be redeemed for free parking, vouchers, or shopping benefits. The program is simple. no app downloads, no physical cards—and adoption has been strong.

Since DLF doesn’t sell directly to consumers, this program has finally enabled a one-to-one relationship with our shoppers. The entire ecosystem is supported by AI-led integrations managed by our loyalty partner, Capillary.

Looking ahead to 2030, what are DLF Retail’s top three strategic marketing priorities?

First, experience-led retail leadership will remain our core focus. Second, technology and data-led decision-making will be a top priority.

Third, selective expansion backed by strong brand partnerships. I’ve learned that when DLF’s marketing efforts align with brand-owned IPs, be it celebrity visits, events, or activations, the impact multiplies significantly. Partnerships will be a key strategic driver going forward.