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Total Experience - How Wearable Can Enhance the Mall Experience

By Anjan Salgia
MicrosoftTeams-image (1)-1

As the pandemic slows down and we learn to live with it, weekend recreation and shopping are steadily returning to normal. The last 2 years have forced enterprises to innovate and leverage automation and data, creating and delivering Total Experience to their customers. Data is becoming increasingly essential, and crucial insights are becoming more and more vital for every business. Gartner mentioned the Internet of Behavior as one of the top trends in the current scenario. The question now is— how will technology enable mall management and users, be it visitors, shopkeepers, or restaurants, better plan and enhance their visitors' experience?

In today's digital era, the mall crowd is mostly connected using apps. They use their ecosystems for leisure and planning their visits. For example, the trip from home to the mall using Google Maps, then booking apps and mall guide app once they are there, and so on. But they need to look at separate apps, and the result is no unified experience. It becomes difficult and cumbersome for the slightly less tech-savvy people to use multiple apps for such purposes. Also, a user can get lost in the mall, resulting in purposeless moving around and impulse buying.

Now, envision just another weekend, chit-chatting with family and friends, and everyone decides to visit the nearby mall for Shopping, Eating, and Entertainment (SEE). What if you need not worry about bookings and table reservations, parking slot allotment, cinema bookings, and so on? That is followed by a smooth paying experience without needing to carry cash or credit card anywhere! This will undoubtedly take your mall experience to the next level. You will then be able to enjoy time with family and friends without thinking about the plan. It does indeed feel like an EXPERIENCE, doesn't it? When we jump back to reality, this vision is not really complex, and in actuality, many #APIs are at play here to make this possible.

We need a mobile app and a device that will help mall management, shop owners, cinemas, and restaurants understand your plans. An application that enables you to update your plan and an automated planner will guide you. This device is basically a smart band (MallFriend, MallGuide, MallBuddy) that guides SEE endeavors. This data is key for mall owners, shop owners to target and attract potential clients and increase footfall. This band is radio-powered, enabled with short and long-range Radio Frequency (RF) technology. When band sensors are activated, they serve various purposes, from serving as a parking ticket to acting as a reservation tool to enabling credit card payments, and beyond.

Meanwhile, the antenna garners information regarding where the guests invest their time and delivers it back to management. The band can be personalized, be it colors, features, and as per the plan, which customer opts for a better experience. API-based Integrations help in sharing the information for better Experience and management.

Total Experience is the Key, and technology is helping to achieve that.

One of the biggest drawbacks that malls faced today is long queues and rush, which sometimes tests the patience of their guests. What if we sought an opportunity for developing an experience for getting out of this drawback? The combo of app and device will do the trick and help mall management create a unified experience for their customers. Powered by API and analytics at core helps build insights that deliver an experience the customer is looking for.

  • Way to the Mall and parking | The experience begins when the guests start from their homes. If the guests are part of the opted services, they need to use the app and tap their band before embarking for the mall. The band also quickens the process of check-in and allocates the parking lot. The band will guide customers as they reach the mall and eliminate/reduce the need for guests to stand in lengthy queues at the mall for parking slots and checks. They will have a dedicated bay where automated systems scan and update the arrivals for the next steps.
  • Entertainment | The guests do not always need to carry their printed tickets or cards to enter cinemas. Not when the band is around, and a mere tap at the front gate does the trick. The band focuses on making the guest experience flawless and immaculate. This band allows the guests to purchase food easily without constantly fishing around their wallets to locate their cash or credit card.
  • Flawless dining experience | Forget simply booking! With the app, you will book a restaurant of your choice. When guests head towards the restaurant, a long-range antenna delivers messages to the host's phone, notifying them that the guests are within reach. Upon arrival, guests can be welcomed by name and invited to sit anywhere as the kitchen simultaneously receives a message to start making their meals. This advanced preparation is backed by the band. The radio receivers at the restaurant enable guests to be served as soon as they are seated and comfortable.
With the data generated by the band and time spent by a guest in the mall with every passing visit, the experience will enhance/improve. This is like Continuous Feedback and Continuous Learning not only for mall management but also for shop owners. Data will give them insights into customer preferences, likes, and the amount of time they spend on specific activities, shops, or locations. The amount they are spending when they visit and many more possibilities. When it comes to Total Experience, malls will thrill their customers by ensuring a timeless experience for them from the second they decide to visit them and their time at the mall.

 

#APIEconomy #TotalExperience #Analytics #DigitalTransformation #Wearable #DigitalEconomy

 

Tags: Digital Transformation, technology, Retail, Data Analytics, Technological Advancement, Omnichannel Retail, Wearable