Alfred Taubman
Shopping Mall Pioneer
Become acquainted with "third dimensional thinking", Alfred Taubman's perspective on the way inventive people look at things with an eye to making them better. Explore the relationship between design and taste, and then join Taubman in a considered look at the rise of the mall, the multifaceted nature of retailing, and the power of threshold resistance as a window for gaining insight into the shopping experience.
I think inventive people have third dimensional thought. How can that object change and be better, not just different.Alfred Taubman
About the Innovator
Trained as an architect but describing himself as a retailer, Alfred Taubman brought formidable attention to detail to every facet of the customer experience to demonstrate the shopping mall's potential as a successful retail model. He then went on to build one of the most successful collections of malls in the nation.
Why He Innovated
Committed to removing barriers between the customer and the merchandise to create the best possible shopping experience, Taubman conceived of a comprehensive philosophy that he named threshold resistance. He applied this thinking to every facet of the retail environment from parking, lighting and floor treatments to store location, amenities and more. In more recent years, he applied this philosophy more broadly to a range of philanthropic interests, helping to eliminate barriers to education, economic development and scientific research in a number of fields.