August 30, 2012
Westfield Mall App Gets a Makeover
The Westfield Group, which operates 48 shopping centers in the U.S., recently unveiled a complete redesign of its shopping center app that it described as "essentially the mall concierge in the palm of your hand."
Upgrades to the new Westfield App v2.0, available in the iTunes App Store, include:
- Expanded Search – Users can browse specific products with keyword searches; sort by relevance, retailer and price; and can use keywords to search for special events, dining options and store locations.
- Directions – A new map enables users to navigate the mall efficiently, guiding them turn-by-turn from where they are to where they want to go.
- Enhanced Offers – Shoppers in search of sales and special offers can browse the app’s curated list of the mall’s best deals.
- Social Media Integration – The app is fully integrated with Facebook and Twitter.
- Hands Free, Voice Command "Concierge" (beta) – A shopper can simply press a "Tap to Ask" button and tell the concierge what they need help with, from "Where is the bathroom?" to "Where can I buy a gift card?" to "I’m hungry."
- OpenTable Reservations – Reservations can be made at participating full-service restaurants through the app’s OpenTable plug-in.
![[Image: ?Overview: The Westfield App 2.0?
]](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxIDEiIHdpZHRoPSIxIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEiIGRhdGEtdT0iJTJGcHVibGljJTJGaW1hZ2VzJTJGZGlzY3Vzc2lvbnMlMkYxNjI0MSUyRnZpZGVvLXdlc3RmaWVsZC1hcHAuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9IjEiIGRhdGEtaD0iMSIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)
"We had such an enthusiastic response to the original version of the Westfield App." said Alan Cohen, executive vice president of marketing, Westfield, in a statement. "After studying the feedback of hundreds of thousands of our shoppers, we found that the majority wanted two things: to get around the mall easier and to save money. Westfield App v2.0 accomplishes both of these things."
The Westfield Group, based in Sydney, Australia, has interests in 111 shopping centers in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S.
BrainTrust
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Discussion Questions
Should shopping center apps focus more on helping shoppers navigate the mall or find special offers? How should stores capitalize on such apps?
Poll
It sounds like the Westfield app is designed to meet both goals: Helping ease the navigation process, and also providing targeted offers. In this sense, it’s like the shopkick app for the “captive audience” of subscribers who are already in the mall or who might be planning a mall visit. (Targeting these offers based on specific stores of interest is a logical next step, if it hasn’t already been taken.) Finally, the OpenTable link to restaurants in the mall is a great idea, as regional malls continue to redefine themselves as leisure-time hubs, not just shopping centers.
I think Westfield is making a fundamental mistake here. They should not be doing an app. The app route limits their potential user base to owners of the phones they develop for (currently just iPhone) and even there it requires the consumer to take the extra step of actually installing the app from the app store.
Westfield should focus instead on the mobile web and build most of the same functionality on a mobile-optimized site. Then every consumer who owns a featurephone or smartphone would have access to the core functionality and usage could be driven by posting the URL and QR codes at entrances to the mall. The app may look sexier but the mobile web would drive much broader engagement with the mall’s consumer base.
What’s not to like here? Malls are complex, spread out, and don’t necessarily have enough kiosks for really easy access to diretions. Directions are, in fact, a needed service for consumers, as well as the retailers that the shoppers are seeking, and what better way to provide directions than by an app which gives them everything, to quote Mr. Cohen, “in the palm of your hand.” And providing deals and promotions via the same vehicle seems like a no-brainer. Pointing the way and providing the promotions are both important and should have equal billing. And this app goes way beyond that.
I have visions of the popular YouTube video of the woman texting while walking in a mall, and traipsing straight into a pool. Can’t get it out of my head.
Personally, I prefer “You Are Here” signs reinforced by extremely visible bathroom signs. For the food court, just follow your nose or any muffin-top you see (you get this, right?).
Both. Finding clear, concise navigation, combined with special offer values will make Shopping Center Apps not only valuable but also usable. This is what shopping center apps should be all about.
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It sounds like the Westfield app is designed to meet both goals: Helping ease the navigation process, and also providing targeted offers. In this sense, it’s like the shopkick app for the “captive audience” of subscribers who are already in the mall or who might be planning a mall visit. (Targeting these offers based on specific stores of interest is a logical next step, if it hasn’t already been taken.) Finally, the OpenTable link to restaurants in the mall is a great idea, as regional malls continue to redefine themselves as leisure-time hubs, not just shopping centers.
I think Westfield is making a fundamental mistake here. They should not be doing an app. The app route limits their potential user base to owners of the phones they develop for (currently just iPhone) and even there it requires the consumer to take the extra step of actually installing the app from the app store.
Westfield should focus instead on the mobile web and build most of the same functionality on a mobile-optimized site. Then every consumer who owns a featurephone or smartphone would have access to the core functionality and usage could be driven by posting the URL and QR codes at entrances to the mall. The app may look sexier but the mobile web would drive much broader engagement with the mall’s consumer base.
What’s not to like here? Malls are complex, spread out, and don’t necessarily have enough kiosks for really easy access to diretions. Directions are, in fact, a needed service for consumers, as well as the retailers that the shoppers are seeking, and what better way to provide directions than by an app which gives them everything, to quote Mr. Cohen, “in the palm of your hand.” And providing deals and promotions via the same vehicle seems like a no-brainer. Pointing the way and providing the promotions are both important and should have equal billing. And this app goes way beyond that.
I have visions of the popular YouTube video of the woman texting while walking in a mall, and traipsing straight into a pool. Can’t get it out of my head.
Personally, I prefer “You Are Here” signs reinforced by extremely visible bathroom signs. For the food court, just follow your nose or any muffin-top you see (you get this, right?).
Both. Finding clear, concise navigation, combined with special offer values will make Shopping Center Apps not only valuable but also usable. This is what shopping center apps should be all about.