In the autumn of 2016, Apsys is set to open Posnania shopping centre, with 300 leading local and international brands and a vast number of new technologies to enhance the customer experience. The mall is currently being built in Poznań and will occupy 100,000 sqm of GLA.
Posnania, once completed, will be one of the most innovative malls in Poland and Central Europe. Apsys, developer with strong presence on commercial real estate markets in France and Poland, strives to create a multi-functional centre which truly reflects modern life style and fully embraces the potential of new technologies.
The mall will offer opportunities reaching far beyond traditional shopping. It will create an environment allowing to benefit from the integration of online and offline sales channels. According to EY, omni channel is the biggest growth opportunity for retailers at the moment. This is also a great value for customers who can not only check product’s availability online, but also pick delivery options, depending on what is more commensurate with their expectations.
The free WiFi network will be available across the whole building, ensuring limitless access to the Internet regardless of place. Beacons will enable clients receiving personalized notifications about the upcoming events, novelties and special promotions as they approach a store. Beacons will facilitate finding products and make shopping even more fun.
The mall will launch geolocation mobile application and digital maps showing locations of brands. This will let shoppers find their points of interest by tapping on mobile devices’ screens. For instance, customers will be able to locate a particular store, restaurant or ATM. This will also navigate back to a car on the parking. What is more, the mall will implement smart parking system which will display the number of slots available, thereby saving visitors time that would have otherwise been spent on searching for parking space.
These innovative solutions are developed by Apsys Lab, a technological unit of Apsys Group, which is aiming to predict future trends in the retail industry and is testing a wide range of pilot programmes with the use of various technologies.
Posnania is also the world’s first mall entirely presented in virtual reality technology. This cutting-edge technology enables a detailed presentation of Posnania from the outside and inside view. Visitors can walk through alleys, see store windows and even enter stores.
The virtual walk has been prepared to support current and future tenants in business decision making, as this allows to see better how a brand is exposed from a client perspective.
“Our ambition is to create a shopping and life style centre which will take customer experience to the next level. Posnania will be equipped with technological innovations easy to use, making shopping more convenient and exciting. By the use of geolocation and beacons, shoppers will be able not only to find brands more easily, but also get discounts. New technologies at Posnania will also increase tenants’ ability to connect with customers across digital and physical space which will lead to enhancement of brand loyalty,” said Fabrice Bansay, CEO of Apsys Poland.
Posnania is currently the largest ongoing retail investment in Poland and Central Europe worth €300 million. Construction of the mall commenced in June 2014. Foundations, underground parking and ground floor are already completed. The first floor will be completed by the end of July this year. The mall is scheduled for the autumn of 2016 and is already commercialized in 80 percent with industry-leading international and domestic brands. Its catchment area covers one million inhabitants of Wielkopolska region and Poznań which is ranked as one of the most friendly Polish cities to foreign investors.
