Stanford Shopping Center Gets Connected

PALO ALTO, CA—Simon, a global leader in retail real estate, and eBay Inc., are introducing the Connected Mall, a new, interactive directory to “enhance the mall shopping experience.”

The Connected Mall went live this holiday season at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.

The immersive mall experience begins with a smart directory developed by eBay Inc. for the Simon Innovation Group, elevating the shopping experience by providing consumers with a suite of services, including point-to-point navigation and personalized offers and deals.
The Connected Mall provides retailers a way to encourage shopper visits to their stores while also providing eBay Inc. and Simon with important customer feedback on how to better serve their needs. Shoppers will enjoy benefits from having a more interactive and personal experience to seamlessly navigate their shopping this holiday season.

Features of the new digital directory include:
    --  A 72" LCD, full HD, all-weather touchscreen viewable in direct sunlight
    --  Mall maps available in 3D view, with accurate orientation of the shopper
        within the mall to their exact location, including the direction he/she
        is facing.
    --  The option to browse through the interactive map, events, services and
        store deals, also allowing a shopper to search for what they are looking
        for by touching multiple categories (food, services, retail, restroom,
        etc.).
    --  Upon selection of a specific store or service needed, the interactive
        map will highlight its location and the best route.
    --  The shopper can then push the directions to their mobile phone and
        follow the recommended path to their selected store (International
        mobile numbers are accepted).
    --  A "today" button that highlights events and deals happening on that
        specific day.
    --  Handicap feature allows the shopper to shift the orientation of the map
        and menu, creating a more easily accessible experience.

"Simon and the Retail Innovation Division of eBay Inc. have been working on an exclusive basis in the mall space to enhance the shopping experience and provide retailers with a new and compelling way to engage shoppers," said Mikael Thygesen, Simon's chief marketing officer. "We're excited about our 'Connected Mall' initiative with eBay.  It's a great example of leveraging technology in a useful, relevant way in the mall environment, and we look forward to continuing to work with eBay on future initiatives."
"eBay Inc. is revolutionizing shopping by bringing the best of digital technologies into the physical world. The 'Connected Mall' pilot with Simon provides shoppers with real-time retail information and deals that will shape mall traffic," said Steve Yankovich, vice president of Innovation and New Ventures, eBay Inc. "This eBay Inc. technology and others will continue to provide consumers with white glove retail shopping experiences."
Stanford Shopping Center is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Macy's Men's. There are more than 140 world-class stores and restaurants, all in a spectacular outdoor garden environment.