Retail manager General Growth Properties is providing a digital parking app to its Shoppes at Buckland Hills customers in Hartford and other regional shopping centers across the country.
GGP, which is based in Chicago, has designed the app to give shoppers visibility into available parking throughout the day. The company launched the app in a pilot program earlier this year at four locations and is now expanding it to most of its properties.
To instantly view parking availability, shoppers can visit the parking page of a GGP property website, or just open the GGP Malls App on their iOS or Android mobile phone, select a property and choose the parking option to view availability and plan their trip.
“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.”
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, ICSC said.
