Point of sale
Published: 07 January, 2009
Image and customer service are key considerations to bear in mind when choosing the right pay-on-foot system for a shopping centre.
With many shopping centre car parks now seamlessly linking into the mall in terms of experience and appearance, it is important that everything within the car park environment needs to deliver the right message to the consumer.
From the layout and design to the high lux levels and top-notch customer service, centre car parks are reaching the new high standards that their customers demand. And part of that involves choosing an access and revenue control system that fits in well aesthetically with its surroundings while providing a valuable service.
ACS has developed the Light & Reflex pay-on-foot system that meets many of the shopping centre’s demands. It has recently been installed at Liberty 2 shopping centre in Romford and will be going in at Gloucester Quays designer outlet when it opens later this year.
The payment machine and entry and exit terminals have been carefully designed to fit in with the high standards now demanded from shopping centres.
“We went to a street furniture design company and they took the design from the most iconic design of the noughties, which they said was the ipod,” says sales manager Paul Gillespie. They then realised they needed to put a lot of thought into the design in order to compete. “Shopping centres for us fit our business because it looks right and fits in with the environment.”
But ACS has not stopped with the unique design. It has also invested in the software, known as Evolution, that features added extras such as loyalty cards and number plate recognition for VIP customers and staff.
“Rather than having a pass card, the software recognises how much money is left on their loyalty card through number plate recognition. It saves using a card or being issued with a ticket at the point of entry,” explains Gillespie.
A potential new customer for ACS could be Gloucester Quays developer Peel Holdings which is interested in a bespoke card similar to an Oyster card, according to Gillespie. “Customers would be able to put £20 on their card and use it in the shops,
which will make parking at the centre slightly cheaper and the purchases cheaper as well. It works much like a loyalty card.”
He also points to a scheme currently being piloted by Westminster City Council called Variable Tariffs, which allows it to change the tariff depending on how busy the car parks are.
“If at 8am the car park is empty, they can charge 50p per hour but at 11am it might be full and although they want to fill it they still want to generate maximum revenue so they might put it up to £5 an hour,” says Gillespie. “It’s about offering peak and off-peak tariffs.
Meanwhile, Swiss-based Zeag launched three major initiatives at a recent BCSC Conference, including a way to increase footfall numbers by up to 40 per cent; a way to upgrade parking machinery for no up-front cost and a revolutionary new e-purse card from Sony which will revolutionise the shopping experience.
Recently, in conjunction with Westminster City Council and APCOA, Zea g has been involved in trialling easy-Jet style pricing which rises with demand from a low initial rate of 20p/hour (£2/hr was normal before). On trial the number of cars using the park increased by 30-40 per cent and, in
spite of the low charges, revenues actually increased.
Zeag has also introduced a second generation, secure version of the Oyster card technology. Sony’s Felica card can be used as a loyalty card, a gift card and access control card within the retail environment. Users simply wave their card at the terminal to make payment, gain discounts or obtain entry/exit. One thousand databases ensure that it can handle multiple transactions independently.
Zeag has launched the card as a centre specific parking card which customers can top up over the internet or in a Zeag Paystation and which will cover their parking payments. Using such a card can also help boost customer loyalty as it can be used to allow centre to give discounts and offers to card holders.
