Malls Are Tracking Customer Activity, Shopping Patterns Through Their Phones
Forget paper coupons and plastic reward cards. Malls are using smartphones, social media and technology to stay alive in today’s environment of retail bankruptcies and closures.
Owners are using phone apps and programs linked to credit cards to track customer spending habits and entice them with digital coupons and promotions tailored to their tastes, the Wall Street Journal reports. One example is a rewards program set up at the Chicago Ridge Mall, where customers can swipe their credit cards to sign up and get $10 off their next purchase for every $250 spent in the mall’s stores.
Once a customer signs up the mall is able to track their purchases, analyze the data and send them custom coupons. And research suggests these strategies work — an International Council of Shopping Centers survey revealed 39% of shoppers said they would visit a store more often if they received personalized advertisements.
