# Immersive Retail Attractions Spectrum SunWheel Adds Height and Digital Features By Mursal Rahman | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-09-18 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adds-foot-views References: [prnewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-all-new-spectrum-sunwheel-debuts-at-irvine-spectrum-center-302881888.html)  Irvine Spectrum Center is expanding [experiential shopping](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/experience-focused-retail-carts) with [immersive retail attractions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/Experiential-brand-stores) that give visitors additional reasons to spend time beyond stores and restaurants. Its new Spectrum SunWheel replaces the center’s original Giant Wheel with a 132-foot attraction featuring 27 gondolas, enhanced in-gondola audio and [programmable LED rim and spoke lighting](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spooky-at-illumi). The redesigned wheel is also 24 feet taller than its predecessor and incorporates operational improvements intended to shorten wait times while creating a more visually distinctive experience. For Irvine Spectrum Center, the SunWheel strengthens entertainment as part of the destination’s broader retail mix. Large-scale attractions can encourage longer visits, generate social media visibility and help shopping centers compete with increasingly experience-focused leisure destinations. Updating an attraction that has operated since 2002 also allows the property to preserve a recognizable landmark while giving returning visitors something new, supporting repeat traffic across its surrounding retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues. Image Credit: Irvine Company Retail Properties ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 7.0/10 - Popularity: 60% | Activity: 57% | Freshness: 92% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Destination Retail Entertainment:** Shopping centers are blending landmark attractions with retail environments to increase dwell time, repeat visits and social visibility beyond traditional store traffic. - **Digitally Enhanced Landmarks:** Programmable lighting, audio and visual systems are turning familiar physical icons into flexible media experiences that can refresh consumer interest without full redevelopment. - **Experience-led Foot Traffic:** Entertainment-first amenities are reshaping commercial properties into leisure destinations where visitor engagement supports restaurants, retailers and event-driven programming. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Shopping Centers:** Mall operators are using immersive attractions to differentiate properties and create reasons for consumers to visit outside of transactional shopping needs. - **Location-based Entertainment:** Large-scale rides and interactive installations are expanding into mixed-use retail districts as anchors for shared experiences and visitor retention. - **Retail Technology:** Connected audio, LED lighting and operational systems are enabling physical venues to modernize attractions while improving throughput and personalization potential. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Luxury Eyewear Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luxury-eyewear-popups.md) - [Accessible Amusement Park Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seatonwheels.md) - [Multisensorial Metropolitan Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/edge-nyc.md) - [Accessible Amusement Ride Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessible-amusement-ride.md) - [Immersive Elevator Holiday Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/enchanted-elevator.md) - [Immersive Nighttime Theme Parks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/immersive-nighttime-theme-parks.md) - [Immersive Spherical Arenas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sphere-entertainment.md)