The Day when Leisure will save Retail Chapter II Technology will bring us back to Life

Throughout the publications, we will share with you our vision with 10 chapters of this white paper entitled "The day when leisure will save Retail"

As a conclusion, we shall share 35 strategic recommendations and the option to download the report

After chapter I Leisure has become a fundamental right, please find Chapter II How technology will bring us back to “real life “

Chapter II Technolgy will bring us back to Life

Digital is a top priority

 It is a fact that a mall without digital equipment and applications is merely condemned

How can you broadcast your events from central place to the rest of the complex?

How to transform footfall into engagement without collecting mega data basis?

How to deliver interactive information on static billboards?

This lack of efficiency and quality of information was stunning during the Covid 19 crisis.

While modern malls, like in UAE, were broadcasting efficient warnings and best practices, obsolete malls looked like ghost town without any soul or heart ( no music, scents, video, lighting ) ..

Phygital to bring us back to real life progressively

 Technology is a hub to Retail in a post-traumatic context

Omnichannel strategies are spreading widely and web to store applications are major levers for the Retail of tomorrow and will continue to support the end of the crisis effectively

Online services and merchant sites have thrived fast to unbalance the decline of a "fun shopping"

E merchants and retailers have learnt from each other in a new “ phygital “ strategy

Beyond the war between former “pure players “this is at the end an opportunity for classic Retail to become immersive showroom with a genuine experiential journey instead of warehousing a ton of products

However, containment and the "fear of others" involved (because potentially contagious) will leave traces

Technology can transform stores into clusters to discover in a safe and customized environment a new way to shopping

At our disposal, "personal shopper or virtual dressings proposing virtual clothes we can customize in term of size or color

Initially deployed for tailor made services, phygital will also create a new ?cocoon" and a reassure shopping comfort

Physical disintermediation

 The demand of hygiene and disinfection will last for a while

Technology will play a role of mediator between men, a kind of sophisticated no man’s land to bring back confidence in the lack of risk to live together again

Teleworking has been experienced at home demonstrating that we can interact without meeting physically

This disintermediation between people can be fostered in shopping malls with main services

The famous drive we use in our fast foods, has been adapted in Retail through the Click & Collect process, and will remain after the recovering including during peak hours to avoid crowded places

Amazon has anticipated this very well by deploying a large park crisscrossing the entire city including shopping centers and even premium department stores fell concerned

What was relevant to science fiction can happen today provided to new techs

Thus automated information delivered through Chat Bot or even the application of virtual reality and holograms to replace welcome desks

Another new shopping companion, the robot is already present in hotels and restaurants in Japan creating immersive experience and making the show

Contact-less technology will be in the core of the new living together

We are not only talking about pay-less but also many applications coming from domestic software we can adapt to shopping malls

Any gamification can be organized without any contact between hostess or goodies

You just use your phone to scan QR codes, and are driven to store to collect your gifts showing a virtual voucher

Leisure industry leading the engagement process

 Staying connected with your customers is the new challenge

 Is it is so tough and costly to attract customers that nobody can afford to take the risk to lose them because they have taken other habits, discover other places or have simply forgotten us

 Leisure operators have anticipated this major issue like museums organizing virtual tours, or theme parks broadcasting live streams discovery of their back stage (behind the scenes)

Leading malls developers diffuse movies of their leisure equipment like fountains, climbing walls, Food Hall or Atrium

Question: what will you show of excepted stores closed if do not have invested in these immersive leisure anchors ?

Another way to keep on connected with clients is to extend the experience with social media: fitness lessons, discovery of cultural offer or just suggestions to deal with kids can create empathy and engage people

However if this was not your priority, if you did not create a significant community of fans and followers how keeping on engaging them ?

To be continued ... Chapter III Leisure is a new Anchor

Throughout the publications, we will share with you our vision through 10 chapters of the strategic report entitled "The day when leisure will save Retail" which we will end with 35 strategic recommendations and the option to downloading the entire report

The author: Gilles Devendeville

Author - Speaker - Master Class – Board advisory

A 25 years experienced expert in the world of shopping centers and mixed use resorts for the major real estate companies and operators in EMEA

Founding director of Real Consulting

www.realconsulting.fr

Strategic consulting firm focused on Leisure - Retailtainment - Place making