Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/803877
30 S C T / A P R I L 2 0 1 7 In many ways, online way-finding apps are managing to one-up their physical kiosk cousins cropping up at hundreds of shopping centers worldwide. One such online system is the product of To- ronto-based Jibestream, which creates online mall maps that guide shoppers to stores and parking spaces by mobile phone. Jibestream has been rolling out this technology across the portfolios of developers GGP, Westfield Corp. and Dubai, United Arab Emirates–based Majid Al Futtaim Group over the past five years. This indoor-mapping app, available through online mall directo- ries and app stores, enables shoppers to plot their mall course even before leaving home and to integrate with other information systems that already serve shopping centers and tenants. "We've long talked about being able to connect real-time data with maps, but only recently has it become possible," said Jibestream co-founder and CEO Chris Wiegand. "This allows us to be much more than just a point-to-point solution for way-finding." In the near future, the technology could be used for such things as helping steer driverless cars toward available mall parking spac- es, Wiegand says. The systems use a combination of location-awareness technologies, including GPS, radio-frequency identifi- cation, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth low-energy beacons, Wiegand says. About a dozen of the 200-plus Jibestream systems serve Majid Al Futtaim's malls. The sys- tem also is handy for lease negotiation, because it pinpoints which stores are generating the most traffic. "You can see what stores are doing well, and you can also tell whether construction is hurting traffic," Wiegand said. Simon has rolled out digitally inter- active mall maps for all its shopping center websites as well, featuring point- to-point navigation between stores, directories of available mall services and amenities, and other functions. Users may pan, rotate and zoom, and they may also hover over a particular store to click for promotional and similar information. A smart-search function created in partnership with Mappedin ranks search suggestions over time. "Our shoppers have responded very well, exceeding our expectations for usage and engage- ment," said Patrick Flanagan, Simon's vice president of digital marketing. Simon promotes the program through a combination of mall-entrance signage and mall directories, highlight- ing shoppers' ability to download a digital copy of the center's map onto a mobile device. — SM "Way-finding kiosks improve shopper experiences," said Mike Kilian, director of business development at Mvix, a Sterling, Va.–based provider of digital-signage systems, inter- active kiosks and content-management systems. "They pro- vide easy-to-use interfaces, accurate locations and intelligent pathways, and they induce a realistic sense of spatial aware- ness and familiarity." The stations also give mall merchants a prime opportunity to increase customer engagement through immersive advertising, he says. GGP is amping up its way-finding program with a proto- type introduced at Chicago's Water Tower Place that offers a unified mapping solution and is designed to integrate with current and future mall data streams. Overseas shopping cen- ters such as Singapore's Clarke Quay Central and many malls in China have had these types of systems in service since early this decade. For the past five years, Clarke Quay Central shoppers have been able to download the kiosk maps onto their phones. Many shopping centers offer downloadable way-finding pro- grams direct from their online sites or app stores. Evolving technology enables malls and tenants to engage shoppers digitally throughout the mall. Strategically placed multiwindow LED screens in the common areas and stores make shoppers aware of sales promotions and enable them to post reviews, selfies, birthday greetings and the like while linking to social media. Culver City, Calif.–based software MOBILE METHOD