Commercial property company Land Securities says visitors to all of its shopping centres will soon be able to search for the product they’re seeking from their mobile devices.
The developer has signed an exclusive agreement with Google Product Search to take the service to all of its centres, and is also extending free wi-fi, provided by public access provider The Cloud, across its properties. So far eight have gone live, with plans accelerated in the lead-up to Christmas to cover centres including Cabot Circus (pictured) in Bristol, as well as Princesshay and Lewisham Centre. The remainder of its 24 shopping centres will follow in the New Year.
The company first introduced Google search to its Leeds White Rose shopping centre in April.
The move to extend the service comes after Land Securities found a growing trend among its customers to research online and buy offline. Customers using the service can see which retailers in the centre stock a particular product that they are looking for.
Sean Curtis, head of business marketing and brand partnerships at Land Securities, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer these services in time for Christmas, a key period in the retail calendar. We have seen the volume of customers accessing our centre websites increase steadily, and as we will be the first landlord to offer free Wi-Fi across the entire centre portfolio we expect that to increase even further in the months ahead.
“Just as brands are creating omnichannel environments, it is the responsibility of every landlord to explore ways to embrace digital technology to help their retailers succeed.”
Based on the estimated combined annual footfall of all Land Securities shopping centres, The Cloud expects to provide wi-fi to nearly 300 million visitors every year.
Curtis added: “This is about delivering the best answers for people searching for products and helping connect merchants with the right customers. The customer experience is enhanced with complementary wi-fi, enabling shoppers to access the search facility via their tablet or smartphone and find the most relevant results in-centre, creating a win-win for the customer and retailer.”
Todd King, digital marketing manager at Land Securities, said: “Providing shoppers with the option to click and collect, browse and buy or simply to offer inspiration during their visit to our centres, Google Product Search is an excellent example of our commitment to supporting our retailers by embracing the latest technology.”
King said 24 retailers had now signed up to use the service, including M&S, Boots, Topshop, Oasis, Bhs, Superdrug, Argos and Schuh.
