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IoT is taking over every industry, it seems like. From its presence in Manufacturing and the evolving 4th Industrial Revolution to Healthcare and tasked nurses & doctors, it’s everywhere and spreading fast. It’s holding a presence in shops, boutiques and larger malls as well, transforming retail in the process. Smart malls, to be exact, serve IoT functionality both inside and outside of the building and can help provide valuable insights to retailers and developers alike.
Parking Assistance
Don’t you hate the difficulty of finding the perfect parking spot, when having to run errands at the mall. Factor in the 
possibility of rainy weather, so the closer to the front door you can get, the better. IoT enabled sensors can help shoppers navigate their way towards the nearest open parking spot. How? In smart parking garages, one can locate digital signage that hands at the entry of every floor, to alert drivers of available parking spots. The signs are able to track accurate readings of this by signifying red and green lights as a car enters or leaves a space.
Customer Foot Traffic
Foot traffic within malls can be monitored, and analyzed to allow for a better customer experience for all. Through utilized IoT within connected devices, it enables retailers to collect further data on the people walking in and out of their stores. They can turn that around and customize better in-store shopping experiences, loyalty programs and much more.
Connected Food Courts & Smart Malls
Customers and shoppers who visit the mall during typical dining times will receive offers to order online and ahead of time to beat out those long lines at the counter. For the shoppers who have been lugging bags around all day, IoT will dive into the wireless connection through smart phones, to provide shoppers with helpful hints as banner ads and targeted ads. Shoppers might receive targeted messaging that suggests them to pick up a water bottle at a vending kiosk or recharge with a hot cup of Joe from the food court. 
Symmetry within Transactions
Shared data can benefit a whole building worth of retailers. Let’s say a college student is shopping in preparation for spring break and purchases a bathing suit from a shop. IoT collected data could then promptly head over to Sunglasses Hut to pick out a pair of shades for her vacation and even remind her via targeted ads, of a current promotion running at the tanning salon.
Smarts Malls & IoT
Secure, wireless connectivity is the key to managing a connected smart mall. Customer data can be captured across the spectrum of smart cell phones. Wireless digital signs allow for displays and kiosks to freely move throughout the premises, without having to plug in any bulky, tangled ethernet cables. On weekdays, signage may be more effective near exterior entrances to drive people towards the mall on slow retail days. By combining IoT, Big Data, Analytics and marketing tactics, shopping centers have the capability to get smart and reinvent customer shopping experiences for all. 
