Grove, Americana to offer free Uber rides to big holiday spenders

The Grove and the Americana at Brand -- two of Southern California’s upscale shopping centers -- are giving free-spending shoppers free rides this holiday season.

The outdoor malls are partnering with the ride start-up Uber to offer complimentary transportation to and from the shopping centers for customers who spend more than $450. The promotion kicks off on Black Friday and will run through Christmas Eve.

“All of us suffer from the same disease, which is lack of time,” said Rick Caruso, the magnate behind the Grove and the Americana. “We pick up guests in a very nice car and make life easier for you.”

Customers can book a ride either through the Uber app, using a special promotional code, or by calling a concierge at the malls. After shopping and showing their receipts at the concierge desk, an Uber car will be ordered to give them a ride home. (Shoppers who don’t reach the $450 tally have to find their own way home but aren’t charged for the ride to the mall.)

The perk comes as malls across the country gear up for the holiday season, a crucial period when retailers can rake in as much as 40% of their total annual sales.

The National Retail Federation predicted that spending through the season will jump 4.1% to $616.9 billion. But shoppers are increasingly choosing to shop online and avoid the crowds at brick-and-mortar stores, pushing malls to create new lures to attract customers.

Caruso said the Uber offer builds on existing services provided by the Grove, in Los Angeles’ Fairfax district, and the Americana, in Glendale.

“If I owned an indoor mall I would be living in panic and fear and I would be picking them up myself to drive to the mall,” he said. But “this is not about being concerned with online and driving traffic. This is about making it an even better experience.”

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