New West End Company, which represents 600 businesses across London‘s Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, has launched an app to boost connection with services including clean teams, welcome ambassadors, security services and shop floor employees. The app will also provide instant footfall and sales data.
Built around the Mallcomm platform, the app uses GPS technology to show users where key service providers are and then communicates with them on a real-time basis. The app will also give up-to-the-minute information about job vacancies and internal loyalty programmes.
New West End Company said this is the first time a tool of this kind has been deployed to connect the streets of a major retail destination anywhere in the world.
Steven Medway, New West End Company‘s Managing Director of the trading environment, said: “Our bespoke app is designed to solve many of the operational challenges businesses across the West End face. The ability to communicate together as an area can only help build a stronger offering for the millions of visitors who come every year.
The sharing of news and events second-by-second will help the area remain at the very forefront of global shopping experiences.”
The New West End app will be introduced in a phased rollout, phase one was installing it in Oxford Street, where it is already proving successful in leading retailers such as John Lewis and Selfridges. Phase two will commence in January, which will see the app extended to Regent Street and the third phase will encompass Bond Street.
Jayne Saunders, Store Manager at Marks and Spencer Marble Arch, commented: “It allows all retailers across the area to connect, share ideas and work together – and that can only work to make our offering to shoppers stronger, more comprehensive and tailor-made to their needs.”
The area currently has 100,000 employees and an £8.5bn annual turnover.
