“Your Mall with it All:” Luxury Development in a Globalizing African City

Abstract

In this article I examine the impact of luxury development on an African city through a case study of the Accra Mall, in Accra, Ghana. Completed in 2008, the mall is the first self-contained shopping and leisure destination in the country and has been celebrated for propelling Ghana into the modern era. Situating the Accra Mall within the globalization of Accra, I contrast the private consumption-oriented development of twenty-first century Accra with the public architecture of the 1950s and 1960s, arguing that contemporary development in Accra responds to the demands of elite urban consumers while marginalizing the needs of the majority of urban residents. I then explore how elite development is contributing to shifting notions of urban citizenship, whereby citizenship is being defined in increasingly neoliberal and consumerist terms.

How Shopping Mall Service Quality Affects Customer Loyalty Across Developing Countries: The Moderation of the Cultural Context

“…First, in contrast with prior findings that suggest malls in developing countries are mainly frequented for their physical appeal (Hobden 2014), our results point to the importance of “softer” (intangible) factors, such as malls’ perceived reliability, personnel, and problem-solving capacity. This research thus highlights a specific pattern among customers in the African countries we investigate: customers attribute more importance to mall perceived value than to satisfaction when determining their service quality perceptions and loyalty.…”

“…In developing countries, the coexistence of street markets and shopping malls is common. Local markets are social organizations that feature ethnic congregations, whereas shopping malls offer images of technology-led business outlets and lifestyle centers in urban areas (Hobden 2014). Another stream of research investigates ways to improve these shopping experiences (Singh and Prashar 2014).…”

“…Another stream of research investigates ways to improve these shopping experiences (Singh and Prashar 2014). With the rapid expansion of developing markets’ middle classes, income levels, and brand consciousness, demand for superior shopping experiences has become widespread (Hobden 2014; Singh and Prashar 2014). Finally, some studies seek to determine the mall factors that improve purchase behavior and patronage (Hinson, Anning-Dorson, and Kastner 2012).…”

“…We contend that the cultural distinctions between these nations (Hofstede 2001; Osman, Alexiou, and Tsaliki 2011) require shopping mall managers to consider the heterogeneity across such African markets and avoid simply replicating strategies across even geographically close countries. By specifying variations in the quality–value–satisfaction–loyalty chain across geographically proximal countries, we provide efficient tools that shopping mall managers can use to appeal to customers in these developing markets who appreciate a modern mall’s surroundings, physical attributes, and facilities (Hobden 2014).…”

Toward a Social Topography

“…Like shopping centers in other late-industrializing countries (Abaza 2001; Anjaria 2008; Hobden 2014; Houssay-Hozschuch and Teppo 2009; Stillerman and Salcedo 2012), Turkish malls exist within a different socioeconomic environment than the one to which malls were introduced in North America and Western Europe. In contrast to the American suburban mall, shopping centers in Turkey are overwhelmingly concentrated in the urban core and linked to various channels of public transportation (Erkip 2005; Ertekin et al 2008).…”