Flying Ubers set to take off from Westfield shopping centres
The way consumers engage with shopping centres is set to evolve as mall giant Scentre Group commits to integrating new technologies following its latest deal with Uber.
Last week, the Westfield operator was announced as a partner with Uber’s latest initiative, Uber Elevate, which is set to take ridesharing to the sky.
It complements the group’s push towards a “frictionless customer experience” that meets consumers’ expectations, which is why Scentre refers to the 41 Westfield sites across Australia and New Zealand as “living centres”.
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Scentre Group chief strategy and business development officer Cynthia Whelan says the company has seen the way customers access the centres change and is looking forward to being a part of the future wave of mobility options for Australians.
“We spend a lot of our time thinking about the customer journey and really, our vision is that our customers will have a seamless, integrated customer journey,” Whelan told The Australian.
Uber Elevate, also known as Uber Air, is being marketed as a way to reduce road congestion by moving the traffic to the sky in the form of air taxis
“That’s one of the reasons why Uber was keen to speak to us because we’re already doing that today for our customers. Whether they come to our centres by car, which is still the way the majority do, or whether they come through public transport, bus interchanges or train hubs near our centres, many of our assets are already located on really busy hubs.
“So it really is about working together with Uber and other partners to think about what might the future of mobility be like for our customers and what might be the next wave of transport for our customers?”
Scentre, along with other operators, have moved to ticketless parking and parking availability lighting to make accessing the centres as frictionless as possible.
The group has rolled out 1800 smart screens at its centres, while its digital directories receive an average of 30,000 impressions a day.
Ridesharing already plays a role at Westfield centres, with the establishment of lounges and valets to make it easier for customers to find their driver in high traffic areas.
The Westfield operator signed a memorandum of understanding with Uber that will make Scentre Elevate’s preferred infrastructure partner in Australia and give it a role in the Melbourne trial of the aerial ridesharing technology next year.
What might the future of mobility be like for our customers and what might be the next wave of transport for our customers?
It is still early days and the specifics of the implementation have yet to be finalised. However, Whelan hints that the agreement may include the hosting of skyports and charging stations.
The group was chosen for the location of its seven Victorian sites, six of which are in inner and suburban Melbourne and another in Geelong.
As Elevate’s preferred infrastructure partner in Australia, there may be potential to explore opportunities with Westfield centres across other states in the future.
Uber Elevate, also known as Uber Air, is being marketed as a way to reduce road congestion by moving the traffic to the sky in the form of air taxis. It will be the first city outside of the US to be a part of the trial, with test flights beginning next year ahead of commercial operations slated from 2023.
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
