Land Securities strikes nationwide deal with Google
Shopping centre owner Land Securities has announced a partnership with Google Product Search to offer the web-based service across its UK shopping centre portfolio.
The company said that customer research at its shopping centres has shown that ROPO, Research Online Purchase Offline, is a growing consumer behaviour trend within the centres and is driving a significant proportion of retail sales. As a result the company is introducing Google Product Search which allows customers looking for a specific item to see results showing which retailers in the shopping centre sell the product. This means that traffic can be driven directly to retailers at the centres.
Land Securities accelerated plans to introduce the service to ensure that its key shopping centres went live in time for Christmas. The facility is now available at Princesshay, Cabot Circus, White Rose, Overgate, The Centre, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Lewisham Centre and Westgate.
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.”
Never Miss a Retail Update!King added that the response from Land Securities’ tenants has been positive, with 24 retailers already signed up including brands such as M&S, Boots, Topshop, Oasis, Bhs, Superdrug, Argos and Schuh.
The company has also rolled out free Wi-Fi in conjunction with public access provider, The Cloud. The roll-out will be extended to all Land Securities centres in the New Year.
Sean Curtis, head of business marketing & 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.”
