More Than Holiday Shopping
What turns a trip to Oakbrook Center into an afternoon, an evening, or a reason to come back
A trip to Oakbrook Center used to be fairly straightforward: you went to shop. Today, you might go to meet friends for dinner, catch a movie, attend an outdoor concert or simply spend an afternoon walking the Center. And soon, visitors will have another reason to come: RPM Raceway, a large entertainment destination taking over the former Wonderverse space.
Shopping may still be part of the visit, but increasingly, it isn’t the whole visit.
That shift is changing how successful retail destinations think about the guest experience. Getting people to visit matters. But so does what happens once they arrive. Do they make a purchase and leave, or do they stay for lunch, wander into another store, meet friends, or discover something they didn’t plan on?
At Oakbrook Center, not every visit even centers on shopping.
“We see people walking their dogs, teens spending time together, and people simply enjoying the outdoor spaces,” said Justin Lushing, Associate Vice President of Leasing at GGP. “Guests aren’t only coming here to make a purchase. They’re coming to spend time together,
and they want things to do while they’re here.”
That variety is increasingly part of the experience. Retail remains at Oakbrook Center’s core, but restaurants, entertainment, events, and outdoor spaces give visitors other reasons to stay.
Dining is perhaps the most obvious example. A shopping trip can easily stretch into dinner at The Purple Pig or Violi, a meal at RH Rooftop Restaurant or a stop at Table at Crate. In our last installment of this series, Oakbrook Center’s leasing team explained that restaurants are considered part of the overall mix because they can encourage visitors to turn a quick trip into an afternoon or evening at the Center.
Entertainment is becoming another piece of that equation. RPM Raceway is expected to open in the former Wonderverse space, bringing a large-scale entertainment concept centered around multilevel kart racing, gaming, food, and events.
“RPM Raceway brings people together for in-person experiences, whether that’s a family outing, a birthday celebration or a corporate event,” Lushing said. “Oakbrook Center has always been a place for connection, and entertainment gives us new ways to create more of those memorable moments.”
Not every experience requires a ticket or reservation. In the summer, Live on the Lawn gives visitors a reason to gather for free outdoor concerts. Seasonal installations and gathering spaces serve a different purpose, creating places to sit, meet friends or simply spend time between shopping and dining.
Matt LaSota, Senior Manager of Property Marketing at GGP, said those details are intentional.
“Holiday shopping can be stressful, so surprising someone with something that makes their day a little easier is a simple way to make the experience feel more personal.”
— Matt LaSota, Senior Manager of Property Marketing at GGP
“We think about the entire guest experience, including the spaces between our stores and restaurants and how we can create lighthearted moments,” LaSota said. “Landscaping, gathering spaces, public art and events add an element of discovery and give people new ways to interact with Oakbrook Center and with each other.”
Bouquet was one example. Created by Olivier Landreville, produced by Init and powered by Creos, the interactive installation surrounded guests with larger-than-life flowers that moved, changed light and color, and even incorporated a playful quiz matching visitors with a bouquet based on their personal style. Seasonal floral arches in the luxury wing have similarly become popular photo spots for visitors.
But perhaps no season brings all of those elements together quite like the holidays.
The holidays are Oakbrook Center’s strongest time of year for visitation, according to LaSota, when shopping overlaps with traditions, experiences and events throughout the property. Santa’s Airstream remains in high demand, while seasonal light displays, holiday décor and larger-than-life illuminated reindeer have become photo destinations of their own.
“Our holiday décor has become part of the tradition at Oakbrook Center,” LaSota said. “Guests take and share photos throughout the property, especially around our seasonal light displays and larger-than-life illuminated reindeer.”
Some of the experiences are planned well in advance. Others are deliberately unexpected. Oakbrook Center partners with its restaurants and retailers on surprise pop-ups throughout the property, which might mean a complimentary sweet treat from Beatrix or a coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee handed to a guest in the middle of a busy shopping day.
“Holiday shopping can be stressful, so surprising someone with something that makes their day a little easier is a simple way to make the experience feel more personal,” LaSota said.
A promotion that proved particularly popular in 2025 will also return. Through Spend & Get, guests receive a $25 reward for every $250 spent at the Center.
And this year, Oakbrook Center is adding something new.
On Nov. 12, Jingle Around Oakbrook Center will kick off the season with a sip-and-shop-style event bringing retailers and restaurants together. Restaurant tastings will be offered inside participating stores, while guests will also be introduced to the returning Spend & Get program.
The event is another example of the Center combining experiences that traditionally might have happened separately: shopping, dining, entertainment and gathering.
“We’re taking what we know guests already love about the holidays at Oakbrook Center and finding new ways to bring it all together,”
LaSota said.
The question facing retail destinations today isn’t simply how to compete with online shopping. It may be how to offer something online shopping can’t.
For Oakbrook Center, that means continuing to give people more reasons to come, more reasons to stay and, perhaps most importantly, more reasons to come back.
