New Social Shopping Site is the First Online Shopping Portal Designed to Drive Traffic to Local Shopping Centers.

Mallfinder Network, LLC, in partnership with Forest City Commercial Management, Inc., today announced the launch of Shoptopia, a social shopping site designed to connect shoppers with retailers and other community groups at their local shopping center.  Short Pump Town Center, one of the area’s most popular shopping destinations, will host Shoptopia’s debut in Richmond. Short Pump Town Center is owned and operated by Forest City Commercial Management.

Shoptopia bridges the gap between online and traditional retail shopping, allowing users to access all of the benefits of online shopping while reconnecting them with the enjoyment of an in-store shopping experience. With Shoptopia, online users have access to the communal-shopping experience they demand – a community of fellow shoppers to share tools, knowledge and product reviews – while receiving special discounts and incentives that can be redeemed at the brick-and-mortar retail locations at Short Pump Town Center.

“When using more than one channel to shop for goods, 75% of consumers overwhelmingly prefer to move from online to brick-and-mortar locations,” said John Dee, president of Mallfinder Network.  ”We launched Shoptopia to meet the needs of these consumers and to connect them directly with brands and products available locally. We’ve partnered with Forest City as we test the concept and intend to roll out not only to Forest City’s multiple centers but in partnership with shopping centers across the country.”

“Forest City embraces the technological preferences of our shoppers at each of our centers,” said Jane Lisy, vice president marketing, Forest City Commercial Management. “In partnership with Mallfinder, we have worked to provide our customers with choices and options that make their shopping more fun, satisfying and efficient. Shoptopia is one more step in combining the power of technology and exciting destination shopping.”

Using Shoptopia is simple. Users sign up to create a profile and personalize their shopping preferences. They can discover, collect and organize favorite products with Shoptopia Lists, seek the opinions of like-minded shoppers and share a shopping experience with family and friends in the Talk section.  Shoppers can engage across all major retail categories including, Women’s Fashion, Men’s Fashion, Kids, Gadgets, Home, Health & Beauty, and Eco-Green.

The shopping experience is enhanced with the Shoptopia “Bag It!” button which can be installed to a Web browser toolbar allowing users to add things to their Shoptopia lists from anywhere on the Web.

Once users have created a profile that identifies their preferences, they can also enjoy exclusive perks and deals from Short Pump Town Center. Retailers can enhance relationships with customers who frequent their stores and provide these shoppers with the product information and promotions that are relevant to them.

“Shoptopia helps us to build relationships with customers and provides them with information about the products and promotions that are specifically relevant to them,” said Misty Parsons, Marketing Director at Short Pump Town Center. “This way we are able to translate the online shopping experience into a trip to the mall for people who love the experience of shopping in a store.”

Following the launch in Richmond, Shoptopia will roll out to shopping centers nationwide.

About Shoptopia

Shoptopia is an online social shopping experience where members can share their love for their favorite brands, discover new products, seek shopping advice from a community of friends, family and peers, and receive exclusive benefits from local shopping centers. Shoptopia is the creation of Mallfinder Network, the leading developer and provider of interactive marketing services for the shopping center industry. Mallfinder develops and hosts websites, manages email-marketing campaigns and coordinates the delivery of brand and retailer content. Mallfinder has been servicing leading companies in the shopping center industry with interactive marketing services since 1997. Experience Shoptopia at http://www.shoptopia.com 

About Forest City

Forest City Commercial Management, Inc. is a subsidiary or Forest City Enterprises, Inc. a $10.9 billion NYSE-listed national real estate company. Forest City Enterprises is principally engaged in the ownership, development, management and acquisition of commercial and residential real estate and land throughout the United States.