E-commerce may be on the rise, but retail is also stepping up its game at malls and offering consumers a more convenient experience.
Department stores and their landlords now know old business methods are no longer relevant in this shifted retail landscape. To lure more consumers to the mall, companies are adding same-day delivery service to their brick-and-mortar locations, in addition to offering exclusive concierge services.
From Macy’s to Westfield Corporation, here’s how retail businesses are elevating convenience at malls.
Macy’s grows same-day delivery service
Amid its restructuring plans, Macy’s is expanding its same-day delivery service to stores nationwide.
On Thursday, the retailer announced that starting this Fall, it will offer same-day delivery to consumers in 15 additional U.S. markets, including Austin, Texas, Kansas City, Missouri and Tampa, Florida. Bloomingdale’s will also offer same-day delivery to consumers in Orlando, Florida and San Diego, California.
“At Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s every experience matters and we are thrilled to offer same-day delivery service to our customers. We are dedicated to ensuring that whenever, wherever and however our customer chooses to shop, their experience is seamless and convenient,” Macy’s Logistics and Operations EVP Scott Prieto said. “We’re excited that we can leverage the stores we have as fulfillment centers to power same-day delivery, closing the gap between customers and products for more of our shoppers just in time for the holidays.”
Customers that shop on macys.com, bloomingdales.com or both brands’ mobile apps can opt for same-day delivery at checkout and schedule products to be delivered at their local store. Once confirmed, shoppers will receive a picture of their driver and have access to GPS order tracking, so they can track the arrival time of their products. The fee for same-day delivery service is $8 for all online purchases that comply with Macy’s ($99) or Bloomingdale’s ($150) free shipping thresholds and $8 plus standard shipping costs for lower priced products. Consumers that are part of Bloomingdale’s Loyalist program are already eligible for $8 same-day delivery.
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Macy’s originally rolled out the service in 2014 and works with Deliv, a same-day delivery startup, to bring products to consumers. Deliv partners with roughly 4,000 retailers to onboard same-day delivery services that compete with Amazon’s Prime offering. Recently, Deliv announced that it expanded its service to 1,400 cities in the U.S. By working with Deliv, retailers can meet consumers’ expectations in today’s on-demand environment.
[Read more on how malls are rebuilding themselves: Don’t Write That Mall Obit Yet]
Westfield creates Uber lounge at the mall
Westfield’s Century City mall has partnered with Uber to boost wait time shopping.
As Business of Fashion reported, Westfield announced will open an Uber lounge at the mall as part of its nationwide partnership with transportation company. The idea is to make customer transportation more convenient and increase consumer spend at the same time.
Starting this fall, 33 Westfield malls will have Uber pickup and drop-off points, but the LA Lounge will elevate this service for consumers where, in addition to having easy access to Uber transportation services, consumers will have premium hotel-like amenities, including complimentary beverages, charging stations and free magazines. A concierge will also be available so consumers can book tables at nearby restaurants, purchase tickets to local attractions and have personal styling assistants on-demand.
The LA lounge is the next extension of Westfield’s concierge service, which debuted last year. This service enables consumers to shop hands-free and collect their products at the end of their trip. Westfield Century City is also undergoing a major $1 billion renovation project, which will heighten the mall’s offerings in a time where e-commerce is causing a slowdown in mall foot traffic.
“The number one objective is that we need to be able to provide convenience,” Westfield COO Bill Hecht told Business of Fashion. “We have a plethora of shops and restaurants in one location, we have technology in place for the search side of it, and now we are providing a way of being able to get to and from the shopping center in a much easier, more ambient way.”