The Future of Indoor Amusement Industry – Scope and Growth
The Indoor Amusement Industry in India is still in its infancy and thus exhibiting enormous growth potential. People have increasingly turned towards investing more in experiences rather than purchases, the trend has been backed by an increased emphasis on holistic living which primarily includes a work-life balance.
As we know ‘culture’ is not static and is never consumed passively by its inhabitants, Indians have also been proactively building the world they want to live in. This new world is marked by cultural shifts, lifestyle changes, and new behavioural patterns and social structures that have contributed significantly to the growth of the amusement industry.
Let’s understand the shift witnessed by Indoor Gaming Centres in India in recent times. Earlier, FECs were confined to a neglected area of the mall, in terms of various prevalent parameters in retail. However, as parents progressively inclined towards bringing their children to physical gaming spaces and FECs started attracting large crowds – there has been a remarkable change that is here to stay.
Due to this, FECs are now assigned high-traffic and fuelling areas. These days family consumers are more likely to visit a mall primarily for entertainment facilities such as a kid’s play area and then turn to food courts, multiplexes, and apparel stores which in turn leads to more footfall and a higher percentage of sales conversion. Over the period, the mall culture has metamorphosed to include successive visits to a shopping mall driven by amusement centres alone, which has also increased regular users at malls. In essence, indoor amusement centres are becoming a key determinant of retail and thus can no longer be overlooked.
Consumers can conveniently shop for accessories, food, apparel, and other merchandise online, whereas when it comes to physical activity, there is no substitute, let alone online. It’s an indisputable fact that physical activities barricade health problems, keeping conditions like obesity and hypertension at bay. The controlled and finite environment offered by video games is insufficient and cannot be imagined to replace physical activity that promotes mind development, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination while offering more and more interactivity.
Dynamic Pricing
Instead of a whole-day pricing or an entry-based ticketing system, the indoor gaming spaces which are ‘smaller versions’ of amusement parks, offer pricing based on the number of rides/activities/games played by a consumer. Unlike big-sized amusement parks that demand strenuous scheduling, these game zones offer the flexibility of entering and exiting in synchronicity with what one’s time allows. This dynamic pricing model is not only convenient but also appealing and sustainable in the long run.
Location
The miniature versions of amusement parks will take physical gaming to a whole new level. Proximity to the city will attract more visitors and being mindful of the same, several smaller versions of large amusement parks are lined up.