GGP Unveils Digital Parking Solution for US Portfolio

GGP’s new app helps shoppers quickly find spaces at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, IL.

CHICAGO— General Growth Properties, Inc. will soon introduce at its retail malls around the US an industry-first digital tool that gives shoppers the ability to predict parking availability through heat maps enabled by GPS data. An app will show where open parking spaces closest to shoppers’ favorite stores or restaurants should be available, solving one of their most pressing problems. “We want to make it as easy as possible for people to get in and out,” Scott Morey , executive vice president of technology and marketing at GGP, tells GlobeSt.com. Most of the Chicago-based company’s properties use open lots, and a survey of thousands of shoppers showed that quickly finding convenient parking spots was a top concern, especially during peak shopping periods. GGP has already begun testing its new parking technology through a pilot program at four malls across the country, including Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook, IL, Alderwood Mall in Seattle, Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco, and Ridgedale Center in Minneapolis. To instantly view parking availability, shoppers simply open the GGP app on their iOS or Android device, select a mall location and choose the parking option to view a color-coded heat map. To introduce the new parking technology, GGP formed a strategic partnership with Seattle-based INRIX , which provides on- and off-street parking information to automakers, transportation agencies, technology companies and drivers. The INRIX database includes more than 29 million off-street spaces in 65 countries – helping drivers fight congestion and simplify navigation. “We’re very focused on how we can improve the consumer experience,” says Morey, and the increased use by shoppers of mobile devices has made it especially important to engage shoppers through this technology. “We’re the first company that has this up and running.” According to a recent survey by the International Council of Shopping Centers , about 75% of American adults went to a mall at least once in the past three months and about 66% of Americans use mobile devices while shopping in store. Following analysis of the pilot program’s performance, a broader rollout to GGP malls will occur in the third quarter of 2016. “Parking is the very first and very last engagement we have with our shoppers,” says GGP chief executive officer Sandeep Mathrani . “We see great potential in our ability to develop innovative digital tools that create quality shopping experiences.”