Submitted by Bellis Fair Mall
Today GGP announced the expansion of its digital parking tool to the majority of its regional shopping centers throughout the U.S., including Bellis Fair Mall. The tool gives shoppers visibility into parking availability throughout the day. The industry-first parking feature solves one of the most pressing problems faced by shoppers today by using heat maps enabled by GPS data to show open parking spaces closest to shoppers’ favorite stores or restaurants.
“Mall traffic continues to rise, and during peak shopping seasons, such as holiday and back to school, parking continues to be one of the largest pain points,” said Scott Morey, executive vice president of technology and marketing at GGP. “We’re always looking for opportunities to incorporate technology within our portfolio to elevate the shopping experience. Providing more options for parking and promoting valet services are two ways we’re changing the parking landscape for our shoppers. Combined with our new technology, this solution is leading the way in providing shoppers with convenient and reliable parking locations.”
GGP is focused on creating new and innovative digital experiences that provide convenience, support and personalized engagement to its shoppers. According to a recent survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), on average, U.S. adults visit shopping centers 5.6 times per month, which equates to a total of approximately 1.4 billion visits per month for all adults. The vast majority (86 percent) of shoppers use a mobile device while shopping in-store. As shopping center traffic continues to increase, technology plays a larger role in the consumer experience.
“Mobile technology, continues to play an important role in the shopper’s path to purchase and GGP is committed to leveraging it to provide shoppers with a more convenient, engaging and positive experience,” said GGP chief executive officer, Sandeep Mathrani. “Parking is the very first and very last engagement we have with our shoppers.”
Earlier this year, GGP successfully launched the pilot parking tool at four of GGP’s shopping centers. Additionally, GGP incorporated a feature to predict parking availability for future dates and times using analysis of historical data. By sharing its mapping information and parking data with its technology partners and third-party mapping companies, such as Google and Apple, GGP aims to bring its parking solution to consumers across different devices and services.
To instantly view parking availability, shoppers can visit the parking page of a GGP property website, or simply open the GGP Malls App on their iOS or Android device, select a property and choose the parking option to view availability and plan their trip. The GGP Malls App is designed to help shoppers plan their trip to the mall, help them navigate their way to their favorite stores, restaurants and attractions, and lead them to and from their parking location.
GGP’s mobile app can be downloaded using the following link https://smart.link/577fdde83302d.
