Shopping center parking is now part of the overall parking experience. From the moment a customer decides to go to a shopping center to the moment the shopper drives away, the overall shopping experience is begun and ended with parking.
So how can parking operators improve the customer experience to attract new and loyal customers?
First, the car park design must be efficient. Parking operators might not be able to change streets that lead to the parking garage or support columns within the garage, but they can make the entrance and the path visible. Shoppers don’t want to guess where they should go. You can click here for more information about car park design.
Parking guidance systems, like Park Assist's M4 Sensor system, keep traffic moving which not only takes the customer to an available spot, but also reduces traffic at the entrance and within the parking lot. There are different types of parking guidance systems that reduce parking time to the absolute minimum. You can click here and here to read more about these.
Safety is another important aspect of shopping center parking. Cars should be safe inside a garage, and a customer must also feel comfortable walking around the parking garage. Smart light solutions keep parking garages illuminated while keeping electricity costs down. You can click here to read more about these.
With the increase in electric vehicles, charging stations are becoming more common in shopping center parking. Some garages provide discounts or even free parking if an electric vehicle driver charges his/her car there. As electric cars become more affordable, parking operators will need to find innovative and economical solutions. Click here to read more about these.
Payment is also a very important aspect. No one wants to spend too long in line waiting to pay. By having different payment options such as pay-on-foot machines, contactless payment, and mobile payment, parking operators can ensure their customers will be happy. Click here, here and here to read more about payment options.
Parking is the welcoming and concluding moment of the shopping experience. Parking managers are no longer side players of the overall shopping experience.
To find out more about the world’s first Shopping Center Parking Network Event, please visit the event website by clicking here.
