GALLARATE – Malpensa Uno, the historic shopping center in via Lario, turns thirty. A story that began in the ninetiesin the midst of the boom that saw the birth of large settlements. A transformation in the sector that has changed the concept of commerce in Gallarate too: a real indoor square, a shopping reference point and a meeting place for families and beyond.
Thirty years of Malpensa Uno
The format of large sales centers was taking hold in those years. And Gallarate – which was already a very attractive reality from a commercial point of view – was one of the first cities in the area to host one: Malpensa Uno was considered the novelty of the momentwelcomed with enthusiasm and taken by storm by customers. The way we shop changed, moving the center of gravity of commerce from the shops of the ancient nucleus to the large structure located in a more peripheral area. And becoming a meeting place that brought together different activities and very popular refreshment areas. «A brilliant achievement: thirty years of commitment and work for the territory and the implementation of the network created by the various brands that have followed one another within the structure, to bring modern commerce within the reach of everyone to the social fabric of the Varese area”, comments the director of Odos Servizi of Malpensa Uno, Marco Verpelli. «The next objectives to be achieved will be the same as always: sustainability, attention to customers and correct communication. Combined with the desire to achieve the optimal balance with the big international brands who are also looking at new sales methodologies, such as e-commerce and future scenarios such as AI”.
Competition
Malpensa Uno will celebrate with the works created by the children. In fact, the final ceremony of the contest will be held on April 20th, from 4.30 pmCreate the mascot”. An initiative promoted by the shopping center – with the support and collaboration of the Gallarate municipal administration – in which primary and lower secondary school classes in the Gallarate area were invited to participate. The event will be presented by Andrea Beltramo and Laura Carusino, stars of the RAI YoYo TV channel.
The competition was aimed at designing the new official mascot of Malpensa Uno. The added value of this initiative – created by the marketing and events agency Jets Spa sb of Milan and Florence – is its educational purpose: to create the drawings of the characters that could best represent the sales structure Gallaratese, the participating students were able to exploit intuitive ability and imagination with total freedom regarding the subject to choose, using exclusively the A4 digital format provided by the organization.
The vote
The works were exhibited in the Malpensa Uno gallery from 26 February: the popular vote – concluded on 24 March – took place through game postcards and an electronic totem which allowed the winning of numerous shopping vouchers. Of the top five most voted projects, among a total of 20 finalists, some were created plush prototypes approximately 40 centimeters tall: the technical jury of the competition (composed of two representatives of the Jets Spa sb agency, a representative of the management of the shopping center, one of the management company and three of the mall operators) will decide the winner based on originality and adherence to the theme of the contest.
The prices
The class that developed the winning entry will receive a booklet of vouchers for the purchase of school supplies worth 750 euros to be spent at Malpensa Uno. The remaining 15 finalist drawings selected by the jury were uploaded to the Facebook and Instagram pages and voted by the fans: the sum of the “heart emoticons” totaled will decide the three winners. The respective classes they will receive a voucher of 250 euros each for the purchase of school equipment.
The solidarity event
It is planned for the occasion a charitable initiative in collaboration with Officina025 onlusactive for years in the Gallarate area in the field of childhood neuropsychiatry. At the same time as the awards ceremony, it will be possible to book at the desk in the gallery the creation of a plush toy of the drawing presented by the child or the class as part of the “Vote for the Mascot” contest. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the soft toys will be donated to the non-profit organization.
