Turning pain points into gain points at Warwick Grove

28 November, 2024
Travelators
Warwick Grove travelatorsCredit: Vicinity Centres

To deliver property excellence for customers and retailers isn’t always easy in the middle of CAPEX upgrades and developments. Implementing works to upgrade assets inevitably results in a period of disruption - as they say, no pain, no gain.

But what if you could turn the pain points of disruptions due to a project into a customer and retailer plus point? That’s what happened at Warwick Grove, WA thanks to genuine customer-first thinking and ingenuity.

Part of a major, multi-year project to upgrade vertical transport, Warwick Grove scheduled the removal and fitment of four new travelators, slated to bring much improved reliability with less down days and resulting in an improved customer experience.

The travelators at Warwick Grove are an important amenity to the centre, allowing customers to level one parking while shopping at its three supermarkets and Kmart, all located on the ground level. While new travelators would ultimately prove beneficial for the centre, retailers, and customers, the time to remove and reinstall would have a significant impact on customer experience in the shape of reduced accessible parking, and for retailers with regards to a fall in visitation.

Travelators
Warwick Grove travelators to basement parkingCredit: Vicinity Centres

Understanding the impact and customer behaviour at Warwick Grove, Centre Manager, Tim Rankin worked with the team to come up with a simple but customer-oriented solution.

“We know a lot of customers shopping at our majors on the ground level will utilise basement or level one parking and without it, those retailers would take a hit to visitation. This was quite a daunting prospect when you consider that half of the total sales from the Centre are grocery.

“With the travelator out of action for a few months, we had to consider how people could continue to park on basement and level one and shop on ground level, especially with things like trolleys which would prevent use of stairs. We were effectively incurring impacts to 43% of our car parks for trolley access if a solution could not be found.

“After a little brainstorm we came up with a couple of solutions. The first solution was to employ stair helpers who would help transport smaller loads of shopping bags up and down the stairs to the cars of our customers, leaving them to simply walk up or down the stairs unencumbered. A really visible and simple way of supporting our customers and retailers, our bag carriers received a great response from the community and were really well appreciated.”

A really visible and simple way of supporting our customers and retailers, our bag carriers received a great response from the community and were really well appreciated.

Tim RankinCentre Manager, Warwick Grove

“The second solution was to run a shuttle bus from the ground level to basement and level one, and back again. This was a great option for those customers with full trolley loads or struggling with mobility and again, was received very positively.

“We ran the operation for just over 11 weeks and while we thought it had gone well, we were shocked at the results.

“Surprisingly Centre traffic was only down around 11% for Coles with an even lower percentage impact to sales. Meanwhile, Woolworths actually saw an increase in sales. Given the fact that we incurred impacts to access to 43% of our car parks for trolley customers, this is a staggering result and one we’re all really proud of."

Shuttle bus
Car park shuttle bus and stair helpersCredit: Vicinity Centres

Delivering a complex, customer-first operation such as that at Warwick Grove with such success is no easy feat. So, what’s behind the results and what was the key in turning pain to gain?

“Well, the key reason for the project’s success was collaboration and a customer centric mindset.

“Our Marketing team did a fantastic job alerting and informing the catchment in advance about the expected disruptions to parking and our planned alternate ways to maintain customer convenience. Then, once we had completed the works, their centre re-launch campaign across social media and roadside billboards enabled our visitation numbers to bounce back dramatically. Our elderly customers and mothers’ groups were counting down the days before they could park under cover and centrally access via the new travelators!

“And our Marketing team could not have had this succuss without the support and great work by the National Capex Delivery team. They understood the vital roll our Marketing team would play and worked collaboratively to minimise impact on our customers and deliver property excellence."

Well, the key reason for the project’s success was collaboration and a customer centric mindset.

Tim RankingCentre Manager, Warwick Grove

“In terms of delivery, our experienced National Capex Delivery team managed to get the new travelators opened for customer usage in the first week of November after nearly 12 weeks of onsite construction - two weeks ahead of schedule, which has completely alleviated any anxiety about delays and potential to impact the Christmas retail period.

“They were able to work with a handful of carefully selected external suppliers and, in the planning period 18 months before the commencement of works, factor in learnings from similar works at other centres in Melbourne.

“Now, the Warwick Grove retailers and customers are enjoying the use of brand-new travelators, providing reliable and safe access to all car parking levels, and, while we’ve said goodbye to our stair helpers and the shuttle bus, the impact they had will live long in the memory as a great piece of customer-first thinking and team collaboration!”

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About Vicinity Centres
Vicinity is one of Australia’s leading retail property groups dedicated to shaping meaningful places where communities connect. It owns and manage some of the most recognisable and loved retail destinations across Australia. From small community shopping centres to world-class destination centres like the iconic Chadstone in Melbourne and Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. Vicinity’s vision is to prosper with our people and communities by creating Australia’s most compelling portfolio of retail-led destinations.
For further information contact:
Corporate Communicationsmedia.relations@vicinity.com.au

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