AsiaMalls Management embraces digital disruption

The digital disruption in Singapore’s retail sector and the growing digital economy doesn’t mean that it is all “doom and gloom”.

“We believe it opens up new opportunities for traditional retail malls,” AsiaMalls Management MD Tan Kee Yong told Inside Retail Singapore in an email interview.

“AsiaMalls believes that as part of our digital roadmap, we’re leveraging on the latest technologies and going digital to ensure that we stay on the frontline of the retail industry, and that we always remain relevant to our shoppers.”

AsiaMalls Management manages Century Square, Liang Court, Hougang Mall, Tiong Bahru Plaza, Tampines 1 and White Sands. A core plank of that digital roadmap is the mobile app AMperkz, which was revamped late last year.

After soliciting feedback from shoppers, the company decided to create something which did more than just push out notifications of deals and promotions and amass points for the app user.  It set out to include functions that would help to enhance the shopping experience to make any shopping expedition smoother and more enjoyable.

AsiaMalls has since observed 50 per cent of their shoppers are using AMperkz mobile app to scan their receipts to gain points at their own convenience – without the need to visit a service counter.

It also added a parking lot indicator for the convenience of drivers, partnered with Chope to allow shoppers to make meal reservations at AMM malls, built in customisation features for users and added the ability to convert AMperkz points from the app into electronic vouchers, redeemable to offset purchases at any of its malls.

Yong said the revamp resulted from the company constantly being on the lookout for new and interesting ways to leverage on the latest technologies as an enabler to add value to the shopping experience for both shoppers and tenants. As at the end January, the loyalty program app had been downloaded 40,000 times and it now boasts an average of 16,000 actively monthly users.

Yong says it is typical for the number of active users to stabilise three months after launch: the current base of 40,000 has a healthy active rate of 40 per cent.

“After conducting a focus group with our shoppers, we decided to overhaul the app and introduce a streamlined design that provides aesthetic and functionality. It is no longer just about a company having an app, it also has to be aesthetically pleasing, and bring an added value to the user,” he said.

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