CityOn.Xi’an mall has partnered with nationwide audio-sharing platform Himalaya to build China’s first “audio library” in a shopping mall.
The move is intended to enhance shopping by enabling customers to enjoy a literary cultural experience while on the premises.
As a well-known audio sharing platform in China, Himalaya currently has 480 million mobile users, and its market value has grown 1000 times since its establishment five years ago. The Xi’an Municipal People’s Government signed a strategic agreement with Himalaya in 2018 to elevate the consumption culture in the city.
Customers scan a QR code upon entrance to the audio library, enabling then to gain access to Himalaya’s various free audiobook channels created exclusively for the mall’s customers. The selection includes literature, education, food and beverage, travel, fiction, and so on, allowing customers to enjoy audio entertainment as they shop or dine.
Best-seller reads that are popular among young customers that would normally require payment include “Ma Dong’s Career Plan B” and “Kevin Tsoi’s 201st EQ Lesson”.
CityOn and Himalaya have also introduced “audio cards” where customers can design and customise their own audio greeting cards to send to their loved ones. The mall is also utilising Himalaya’s platform to create an exclusive radio channel for CityOn.Xian mall, enabling customers to receive messages, member benefits, brand details, and customer service information directly. Customers can either use an offline QR code scan or manually search on Himalaya’s app to gain first-hand information on happenings at the mall.
“CityOn.Xi’an has always been at the forefront of new retail and has achieved numerous firsts in the nation,” explained GM, Xu Jing Dong. “For example, CityOn.Xi’an mall innovatively implemented app technology in a wide variety of services, such as launching the world’s first offline experience store for DiDi, China’s first SF Express delivery customer service store, and the first to have a smart electric bike stop, motorcycle charging facility, and Ponycar flagship store in China’s north-west region.
“These O2O collaborations have brought CityOn.Xi’an and customers closer together, successfully converting online traffic to offline footfall and achieved record-breaking performance in customer traffic and sales”.
