How Simon Creates Personalized Shopping Experiences

With a vision to enhance the shopper experience, Simon Property Group uses Mappedin’s React Native SDK to display custom interactive maps in their brand new Simon Mobile App, enabling shoppers to search, discover, and explore the offerings of all 200 Simon shopping centres.

The Customer

Simon Property Group is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations, which consist primarily of malls, Premium Outlets, and The Mills. With shopping centres across North America, Europe and Asia, Simon provides community gathering places for millions of people every day.

The Opportunity

As an innovative leader in the retail space, Simon set out to completely redesign and rebuild their Simon Mobile App to deliver an ever high-end shopping experience universally across smartphones and tablets and iOS and Android powered devices. As part of this initiative, they wanted to best enable rich digital maps of their shopping centres. This way, shoppers can refer to maps to find exactly what they’re looking for, get step-by-step directions to their desired locations, and discover all of the stores, events, and entertainment across Simon’s portfolio.

Simon currently uses Mappedin's solutions for web and some digital directories, and wanted the same look and feel for their new Simon Mobile App. Thus, they sought out Mappedin to help bring their vision to life. A huge advantage to using our platform is that Simon can update their maps in Mappedin CMS and push those changes live across all their solutions. While saving time, this also enables Simon to deliver a consistent mapping experience for their shoppers.

The Solution

Simon used Mappedin’s React Native SDK to integrate digital maps of their 200 shopping centres into their new Simon Mobile App. Mappedin SDKs provide our customers with flexibility and encompass a variety of features to enable an end-to-end wayfinding experience. Features include 3D interactive maps, A-B wayfinding, smart search, smart labels, and more. With a single React Native based app, Simon was able to provide rich map content that supports iOS and Android platforms, enabling shoppers to access information from any mobile device. With React Native, Simon can make changes to their maps once and it updates across both iOS and Android platforms, saving time and effort. 

Powerful Search

With digital maps, shoppers can discover all of the stores, events, and entertainment options offered at any one of Simon’s properties. App users can search for stores or restaurants across all 200 centres, or with local search, they can search for stores, categories, and brands within a specific mall. Alternatively, shoppers can browse through a list of amenities and categories to find exactly what they’re looking for, enabling maximum discovery of all Simon’s offerings.

Location Detail

Shoppers can also click on stores, restaurants, and locations on the map to find out additional information such as operating hours, phone numbers, products and brands carried at this location, and more. With badges, users can also see which locations offer deals, curbside pickup, shopping concierge, outdoor dining, and other services. These location details are customizable, enabling Simon to easily update descriptions, logos, or upcoming holiday hours as things change.

Mini Maps

Additionally, Simon embedded mini maps on the store detail pages, allowing users to see the store and surrounding locations at a quick glance. When selected, shoppers are taken to the full venue map with the store highlighted, enabling them to search for directions to or from a second location. While providing additional context to app users, this feature also drives additional traffic to the shopping centre maps.

Seamless Directions

Equipped with powerful wayfinding and navigation, shoppers can get the easiest directions around the mall, helping them locate all their favourite stores and restaurants. With accessibility mode turned on, maps populate a route with elevators and ramps, rather than using stairs and escalators. This way, everyone can receive tailored directions that best suit their needs.

 The Results

Simon successfully integrated 200 shopping centre maps into their new Simon Mobile App using Mappedin’s React Native SDK. Equipped with powerful wayfinding and navigation, shoppers can search and find exactly what they need, populate directions, and discover all the stores, events, and entertainment across the Simon portfolio.  

- Patrick Flanagan, SVP, Digital Development, Operations & Strategy and Data Protection Officer, Simon

Looking Forward

Mappedin continues to work with Simon to provide indoor mapping capabilities that enhance the shopper experience. Visit our website to learn more about our solutions for shopping malls or contact us to book a demo today.