Malls deploying latest tech to enhance shopping experience

The malls in India are rebooting the shopping experience to woo the modern-day customer by deploying latest technologies.

The bottom line is clear: Malls and the stores within have to meet customers where they are, instead of endlessly waiting for them to come to them.

In a bid to stay relevant, malls are tapping into every click, every swipe and every purchase which is leaving behind a digital footprint  a treasure trove of data waiting to unlock the secrets of consumer behaviour.   

The country’s largest developer DLF, for instance, is reworking its loyalty app where mall shoppers get vouchers for the purchases they have made. 

As part of the rejig, it is also working on guiding shoppers to the next store that has special offers and discounts and is evaluating face recognition to get demographic data.

DLF has also installed automatic number plate recognition at malls for easy parking and digital navigation tools for easy navigation of vehicles.

 Forum Malls, the malls company of Prestige Estates, uses retail GPT, an AI-driven platform that has interactive chats for real time assistance and information on demand, retail insights for retailers and customer support.

It also has a way finding app and WhatsApp Chatbot, an interactive tool available through WhatsApp, which can be activated by scanning a QR code or clicking a link.

It also uses robot as a service, wherein smart robots deliver food orders to customers’ tables, said V Muhammad Ali, CEO-retail, Forum Malls.

Some are also geofencing and sending targeted messaging to consumers’ phones once they enter a certain parameter within the mall.

Oberoi Mall in Mumbai’s Goregaon encourages shoppers to upload their invoices on its Club Uno app, its reward programme. 

The mall also reaches out to shoppers through Instagram, Facebook and so on about its activations, offers, new store openings and so on . 

In R City Mall in Ghatkopar, some retail outlets offer online fulfilment of orders to reduce delivery time, and ensure that customers receive their purchases swiftly. 

The mall has also installed EV charging points to support sustainable transportation and FASTag-enabled boom barriers to provide seamless and automated parking access for a efficient parking experience. 

Its website provides real-time information about mall events, exclusive offers, and helps shoppers navigate the mall with ease, said Rima Kirtikar, chief marketing officer, Runwal .

In addition, the mall has introduced interactive directories to assist its customers in locating stores, amenities and services swiftly.