The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business
What could be more exasperating than being stuck in traffic on your way for that season-end sale? It is the confusion that prevails while you try to locate your store in the huge mall and the struggle to find the shortest and sanest directions to your destination before the stock (and your enthusiasm) gets over.
Reaching out to the direction-map signage often turns out to be even more confusing. This is when technology solutions company ‘Nearbuy’ works its magic.
Designed to offer the most advanced and modular 3D technology to enhance visitors’ experience in large venues, Dubai-based Nearbuy has launched UAE’s most advanced digital 3D virtual way-finder for shoppers of Al Wahda mall. Fourteen digital totems are placed in strategic locations to ensure that visitors find their way across 350 plus stores spread over 3.3 million square feet. The new installed Nearbuy’s digital pathfinder kiosks at Al Wadha mall will make your navigation easier the next time you visit.
“With more than 350 stores and an area the size of 3.3 million square feet, the mall is just too big to tackle without a navigational aid,†commented Nicolas Standaert, Founder and CEO, Nearbuy Group.
“This in itself can be extremely frustrating for shoppers, as they try and navigate through stores and shop. With Nearbuy’s way-finding solution, shoppers can find their way with just a simple touch and can also take advantage of the interactive maps which display intuitive multi-floor paths and a customisable user interface. We are extremely proud to be Al Wahda’s mall technology partner of choice and for the continuous support provided by Line Investment and the Lulu Group Management. We are certain that our advanced digital technology will set a new benchmark in way finding and delivery of technology-enabled services aimed at maximizing the convenience of shoppers.”
Nearbuy’s digital totems not only offer information through the latest state-of-the-art touch screen, but it is also fully modular which allows the digital totems to be refreshed with the latest content as per the requirements of the venue.
“Our partnership with Nearbuy fits with the malls overall vision to connect and digitise the shopping experience, our average monthly footfall is 3 million, we want to make sure our visitors can find their way while enjoying an immersive digital experience. The demand for such integration is proof of the growing need for powerful way finding solutions, which we are excited to deliver with Nearbuy,†commented Mohammad Nauman Thakur General Manager at Al Wahda Mall
Nearbuy’s digital totems are currently deployed in more than 35 malls, across the Middle East and globally. “We are adding new locations every week, and in fact have just recently completed deploying this virtual technology in three of the largest shopping malls in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. With more than 15 years’ experience in software technology, we are proud to make the UAE a smart shopping place and be the first company to introduce digital wayfinding in real time through walkthrough technology for UAE shoppers,†added Nicolas.
For mall-marketing managers and retailers, Nearbuy’s digital way-finder provides an incredibly user-friendly way to guide and understand shoppers, and highlight events and available promotions to engage the visitors. The customized solution also put the users in charge of finding their destination with confidence allowing users to explore shops they normally wouldn’t notice. Aside from making it easy to find their locations, retailers can leverage Nearbuy’s solutions to alert customers on favourite discounts and other deals in real-time, with unmatched engagement rates.
