Indoor Positioning Systems for Shopping Malls

Shopping malls conveniently give shoppers access to multiple amenities all under one roof, but shopping mall navigation systems can make malls even more convenient. Indoor positioning and navigation systems help shoppers get to where they want to go, beyond the average static signage. Directories are a handy tool upon entering the mall and searching for a store, but indoor positioning technologies take this process to the next level to deliver a new and improved shopping experience in real-time.

How Indoor Positioning Can Benefit Shoppers: 

Exact User Location

An indoor positioning platform enables a guided wayfinding experience by allowing users to find directions from their exact location in real-time on the map. Shoppers can simply load the mall map on their device and see their precise location represented by a blue dot. This allows a visitor to skip the “start” step when leveraging a wayfinding app to get turn-by-turn directions on the map. With indoor navigation and positioning systems, a visitor can spend more time browsing the mall instead of aimlessly searching for stores. An exact user location can also help with accessibility. Visually impaired shoppers can use indoor navigation and positioning systems with voice commands to be alerted of their exact location on the map and be verbally directed to stores and products inside a shopping mall.

Location Sharing

Indoor positioning systems can allow for location sharing between devices. This can be beneficial to parents who want to monitor a child’s location, as excitement levels may be high inside a mall. Indoor positioning technologies can be activated on your device and shared with others so you can get alerts if your children wander away in a mall. Visitors can use location sharing by sending their exact location to a friend or family member’s mobile device to easily find their exact whereabouts across a large multi-floor shopping mall. Within a shopping mall app, shoppers can even send direct messages to information desk staff and receive mall navigation assistance in real-time if, for example, a user is having trouble using the indoor navigation mapping platform. The information desk staff can quickly send a visitor information about the retailer they are looking for with turn-by-turn directions based on their exact location on the map. 

Proximity Marketing

Deals and promotions are normally showcased by displaying sale signs in-store, within an integrated benefits platform, or on a store website. With proximity marketing, a customer can get the latest deals and discounts without having to search for them. As a shopper travels through the mall, they can receive notifications when passing a store that has a sale through the use of indoor positioning technology. Users can be easily directed to a sale and get the best goods before they are all sold out while also receiving coupons or special offers. Indoor positioning makes getting the best bank for your buck a simple process for shoppers.

Proximity marketing can also alert shoppers of events happening in the mall while providing them with information about the event such as free samples being offered or other fun activities. Beyond deals and promotions, indoor positioning can give detailed information to customers when travelling through a mall. When a customer enters a clothing department, they can be provided with information about designers and collections and are able to share this information with friends and family who may find it interesting or useful.

Parking Lots

When spending time in a mall, visitors may be concerned about the time limit on their parking space. It is common that customers sometimes enter a store for one thing and end up spending their entire day shopping. With indoor positioning technologies, a customer can shop freely without the constraints of a parking time limit dictating when they should leave to replenish their meter. A shopper can pay through their phone and as they travel through the mall, they can be alerted when time is running out on their space and pay straight from their device. When it is time to leave the mall, indoor navigation and positioning technologies can allow customers to get directions from their exact location in the mall straight to where they parked their car. This can save time when parking at a large venue and getting lost in the endless rows of cars that all look like yours. Avoid unnecessary parking tickets with positioning systems and leverage a new and more convenient way to pay when you park. 

How Indoor Positioning Can Benefit a Shopping Mall:

Security Detail

Dangerous situations can create high stress and commotion levels within a mall. In the event of an emergency, indoor positioning can be used to alert and direct visitors and employees to evacuate the premises based on their current location inside the mall, therefore minimizing tension and any uproar as much as possible. Security detail can send immediate notifications with exit procedure maps and directions to ensure individuals exit the mall safely. This can allow security detail to crowd control by tracking the movement of people indoors trying to evacuate, making for a seamless and proper exit. Security detail can also use an indoor positioning platform to implement asset tracking so security can find the closest defibrillators, fire extinguishers and more, creating a safer mall environment.

Customer Loyalty

A shopping mall that utilizes innovative technology like indoor positioning can enhance an experience that customers will keep coming back for. Indoor positioning and indoor navigation technologies create a more interactive and enhanced shopping experience compared to kiosks and information desks. Shopping malls can implement VIP perks to strengthen a customer’s commitment to the brand and drive more foot traffic and revenue to the mall. Customers will enjoy the convenience that a shopping mall navigation system provides and continue to go to malls that have the latest and most innovative technology. 

Insights & Analytics

Shopping malls can use an indoor positioning platform to track visitor intent through insights and analytics. Mall managers use analytics tools to see which areas track the most foot traffic and make layout changes to help increase foot traffic in areas that often get overlooked. Understanding traffic flow data can help malls allocate resources more efficiently, for instance, adding a coffee shop in the area that drives the most customers in the morning. Mall managers can optimize their mall layout using location-based data and analytics from indoor positioning systems to create an effective marketing strategy that will target customers accordingly.

Rental Revenue

An enhanced shopping experience undeniably drives in dependable customers for the shopping mall, but also to the retail stores. A high number of new and returning shoppers attracts more retail tenants, allowing malls to expand and charge higher rents for spaces in the mall. Retail stores can get access to indoor positioning technology which will increase their sales, which allows malls to charge a high rent rate to include these amenities.

Targeted Advertising

Malls can offer location-based targeted advertisements that can be distributed to customers in real-time when they enter or travel through the mall. Customers can receive advertisements on their mobile devices through push notifications. Malls can start marketing campaigns and track which ones perform the best to continue targeting customers appropriately.

Asset Tracking

A mall can use an indoor positioning system to promote asset tracking on a map. Mall managers can keep track of items like cleaning carts to make sure everything is running smoothly and increase efficiency. Managers can even see where caution signs are placed around the mall to ensure safety precautions are in place. Security can also be tracked to monitor that all areas are covered to promote the safety of users.

How Indoor Positioning Can Benefit Retailers:

Targeted Advertising

Many stores offer loyalty programs such as a mobile application or a points card. With indoor positioning, retailers can customize offers to visitors based on their time spent in the store and give better deals to loyal customers. Retailers can use these technologies to create a VIP program that is activated upon entry to promote rewards, points, coupons, and many other amenities that drive foot traffic to a store. With online shopping increasing in popularity, creating an experience for shoppers is vital when they make the choice to physically enter a store. This keeps customers coming back to physical retail shops and promotes foot traffic inside the mall. Retail stores can customize welcome messages to users as they enter the store, establishing a positive impression on users. Indoor positioning can reduce the number of customers that enter the mall and don’t purchase anything through the showcasing of deals and discounts, integrated benefits programs, profile-based offers, and mobile couponing within an indoor navigation system.

Insights & Analytics

Retailers can utilize indoor positioning to see how customers travel through the store and which areas attract the most attention. This can allow retailers to change the layout of their most desirable products to make them easy for a customer to find and purchase. Retailers can also become aware of the environment around their store and gauge if visitors are taking a different route and missing the entire store. This can allow retailers to implement signs, digital advertisements, or notify a shopper earlier in their journey about the deals and promotions offered.

With indoor navigation and positioning, users can reduce the amount of time spent mindlessly searching for amenities and more time can be allocated for shopping or eating at restaurants. Indoor positioning technologies deliver a unique and innovative experience for shoppers that allow them to access deals and navigate their way through a mall easily and in real-time. An indoor navigation and positioning platform goes beyond the average shopper and can enable shopping malls and retailers to optimize a shopping experience that can increase revenue. To learn more about how indoor navigation and positioning can enhance your mall, book a demo or contact us today.