Alibaba Group’s Tmall and Swire Properties are launching a New Retail initiative creating tailored retail experiences at Swire Properties’ five shopping malls in Mainland China. The partnership will bring benefits to customers in time for Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival on Sunday with Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing the first brick-and-mortar shopping mall in Mainland China to experience this year’s 11.11 “red packet rain” this week.
Swire Properties will introduce Tmall’s New Retail technologies at five of its developments: Taikoo Li Sanlitun and Indigo in Beijing; HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai; Taikoo Hui in Guangzhou and Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li in Chengdu. The five New Retail initiatives include Tmall Smart Stores, a Tmall Pop-Up Store, Interactive Idol Engagement Photo Booths, Smart Nursery Rooms and a Smart Parking Service.
Tmall Smart Stores: Shoppers will enjoy a seamless online and offline shopping experience from order to delivery (for participating physical stores). By signing up as members of selected brands, customers can instantly receive details on the latest promotions, and enjoy a return service by simply using their digital devices.
Tmall Pop-Up Store: Tmall will open an interactive pop-up store featuring cutting-edge technology at Taikoo Li Sanlitun. This nine-day promotion during the Festival will offer shoppers in-depth and enhanced experiences.
Interactive Idol Engagement Photo Booth: Fans will have a chance to ‘virtually interact with’ and snap a photo with their idol. This is the first-of-its-kind check-in hot spot in Mainland China.
Smart Nursery Rooms: These offer mothers a relaxing and private space where they can nurse their babies at shopping malls. Vending machines will also offer essential nursing necessities.
Smart Parking Service: By linking Alipay with their car license plates, drivers can pay parking fees with ease. This service will save drivers 80 per cent of the time usually spent on paying the parking charge and exiting the car park.
“At Swire Properties, we are always looking for new ways to innovate and integrate the latest technologies into our business, so that we can bring unique experiences to our customers,” said Han Zhi, director, retail at Swire Properties. “Our collaboration with Tmall is a powerful example of digitisation. By harnessing rapidly developing online technologies and big data, our goal is to define the New Retail shopping experience.
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of Taikoo Li Sanlitun and Alibaba’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, both of which have grown in leaps and bounds the past decade. We’re confident that our partnership, which also celebrates this milestone, will set a new benchmark in our respective industries and in the digital space.”
