Nhood, a leading brand in innovation and a benchmark in real estate and urban regeneration, has signed an agreement with Situm to implement indoor location technology in its shopping centres. The first project will be executed this year and will be in the Vialia Estación shopping centre in Vigo, which opens its doors this month.
Indoor geolocation: a great added value
Shopping centres are large spaces and offer different possibilities: not only retail but also entertainment, restaurants, children’s leisure activities, etc. And the more options the space offers, the more complex it usually is for those who visit it and those who must manage it.
However, having more options doesn’t necessarily mean compromising the customer experience. Many of them live nearby and will have the opportunity to get to know the place in-depth and where their favourite stores are. Others will be passing through and will have to face the challenges of orientation and accessibility presented by a large shopping centre, which in the case of Vialia Vigo will even share space with an intermodal train and bus station, leading to a continuous flow of passengers. In addition, other complications can also arise on a day-to-day basis in such large spaces, such as finding the car in the parking lot, for example.
Nhood is committed to indoor geolocation as an added value for its projects, with innovation as one of its pillars. They rely on Situm to implement this technology and thus increase the value of its services.
Navigation, mapping, and customized promotions for customers of Nhood shopping centres
Indoor location contributes to a better customer experience from two points of view:
- It allows the development of a turn-by-turn navigation system, like the one we are used to outdoors thanks to GPS, but indoors, where this signal does not work. In addition to positioning the visitor, they can select the destinations they are interested in to receive instructions on how to get there, including adapted routes and resources such as finding the car in the parking lot.
- Through geomarketing, you can reach customers at the right place and time. Thanks to indoor location, the mall app will serve not only as an information point, but it will also allow sending promotions, discounts, etc., according to the tastes, needs and location of the customer in the mall.
Daniel Lorenzo, Marketing Director, Innovation and RSC Director at Nhood, highlights the benefits of indoor geolocation for both visitor experience and centre management.
“For Nhood, knowledge and interaction with citizens is a priority, and we achieve this to a large extent by maintaining a constant two-way interaction both physically and digitally.
This app will allow us to connect in real time to the citizen with everything that happens in Vialia Vigo, both commercial and events, as well as information related to transportation. As for the geolocation solution, it will allow us to improve the visitor experience. We will be able to guide the customer to any point in real time, in addition to offering different advantages or solutions depending on their location.
Regarding the management of the centre, this solution will allow us to obtain analytics on the use of space, maintain better control over facility services, live notifications to smartphones, among others. “
Nhood to debut indoor geolocation in the new Vialia Estación shopping centre in Vigo
The company, which currently manages 29 centres and is present in 10 countries, will start implementing indoor geolocation in the Vialia Estación shopping centre in Vigo, which is due to open in September this year.
This newly built shopping centre is in the heart of the city and has been designed by architect Thom Mayne. In addition to a mall with more than 120 retail units, an entertainment and food court, the project also includes a public square of more than 30,000 m2 and an intermodal bus and train station.
As Daniel points out, innovation is a key pillar of the project, which is why Situm’s geolocation takes on special importance.
“We want Vialia Estación de Vigo to have technological solutions that make life easier for citizens. This project was born and developed by actively listening to the community, and analysing their needs, consumption styles and tastes. It was this commitment to the city that drove us to look for innovative alternatives to continue interacting with people in a personalised way. Geolocation will allow customers to optimise their stay and their experience within our facilities“.