Updated
Updated · Retail Times · Aug 21
Highcross Leicester Opens UK’s First HADO Mall Pop-Up for 2 Weeks
Updated
Updated · Retail Times · Aug 21

Highcross Leicester Opens UK’s First HADO Mall Pop-Up for 2 Weeks

3 articles · Updated · Retail Times · Aug 21

Summary

  • Free through Aug. 30, the HADO pop-up has opened in Highcross Leicester’s former North Face unit, marking the first shopping-centre staging of the AR techno-sport in the UK.
  • Players wear AR headsets and wrist sensors on a real court, where they fire digital energy balls, raise shields and dodge attacks while staying physically active.
  • Two formats are on offer: 80-second team PVP matches for up to 3 players a side, and Monster Battle sessions where solo players or teams of up to 4 fight virtual bosses.
  • Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, the drop-in event fits Highcross Leicester’s broader push to draw visitors with free experiential attractions.

Insights

What happens when high-speed virtual monster battles collide with everyday retail therapy in a UK shopping centre?
Can a free Japanese AR techno-sport truly save traditional shopping malls from the relentless rise of e-commerce?
Will dodging digital energy balls become the future of family fitness, or just another fleeting mall gimmick?