Urbiotica: Smart Parking as a Driver of Customer Satisfaction and Business Performance

In many shopping centres, parking is still a source of frustration. Finding a free space can take time —especially during peak hours— which affects how visitors perceive the space and, ultimately, their willingness to return. That’s why understanding how parking influences both the emotional experience of the customer and the profitability of the business is key to remaining competitive.

Parking is often the first point of contact between the customer and the shopping centre. A smooth and fast parking experience sets a positive tone for the visit, while delays and stress can shorten the stay and reduce the likelihood of a purchase. Consumer behaviour studies confirm that parking-related frustration decreases willingness to buy and affects customer loyalty. If the experience is unpleasant, people are more likely to choose another centre next time.

Efficient parking management can also make a clear difference in the shopping centre’s performance. A smart system increases the turnover of spaces and reduces congestion by guiding customers directly to the ones they need —be it PRM, EV charging, VIP, or pickup areas. In addition, it provides real-time data to help understand how many people arrive and when, making it easier to adapt services and offerings. This information gives mall managers visibility over what is really happening, enabling them to make better decisions. In a context where physical shopping competes with e-commerce, the experience must be impeccable.

Urbiotica’s Smart Parking solutions allow customers to find a space up to 40% faster, reducing time spent circling and improving their overall perception of the centre. These systems can operate through proprietary detection technology or integrate with existing infrastructure, making it possible to provide real-time guidance, analyse usage patterns, monitor reserved areas, and more.

Urbiotica continues to develop solutions tailored to the needs of shopping centres, even in complex environments. Its long-standing experience has made it a reference in the field, offering technologies such as:

• U-Spot Surface, a high-precision sensor installed on the pavement, ideal for indoor or rooftop parking where groundworks are not possible. Easy to deploy and scalable.
• U-Spot VISIO, AI-powered cameras that monitor multiple spaces simultaneously and offer an alternative to installing sensors in each space. Compatible with all Urbiotica detection systems.
• U-Display, a dynamic sign showing in real time how many free spaces are available by zone or level. It can be installed quickly via Ethernet or 4G, even in locations with limited connectivity.

Centres that have already implemented these solutions include Shopping City Süd in Vienna —where vehicle counting sensors and 100 signage panels were installed to reduce queues— and La Torre Outlet in Spain, which deployed detection systems in 7 parking zones and 9 displays to guide visitors and improve flow. All data is centralised in Urbiotica’s U-Admin platform for efficient management.

If you want to improve your visitors’ parking experience and optimise operations at your shopping centre, contact us at info(at)urbiotica.com or request a demo.

About Urbiotica

Urbiotica was born in 2008 with the mission to bring the most innovative technology to society through urban environments. Its vision is to help cities become more manageable, efficient, and sustainable, improving the quality of life of its citizens.

At Urbiotica, we focus on developing reliable IoT technologies that enhance urban mobility. Our sensors are rigorously tested to deliver high performance and accuracy in parking space management, ensuring efficient and dependable solutions.