Malls offer free parking in bid to lure customers
Print Edition
SEVERAL shopping malls in new Hongqiao-Tianshan business circle are offering free parking for five hours during weekends and national holidays in return for any kind of consumption, including buying a bottle of water or a popsicle, to attract customers to their stores.
Five shopping malls and a cinema hall in the new Hongqiao-Tianshan business circle are offering free parking space for five hours during weekends and national holidays — with a catch.
They have to produce receipts of any consumption made at any of the six venues.
“It doesn’t matter if you have spent on a bottle of mineral water or a popsicle, but visitors can exchange the parking coupon with the receipt at the service counters of the shopping malls and the cinema,” said Liang Hong, office director of Tianshan community in Changning District.
The deal opens up nearly 2,400 parking lots at L’Avenue, Arch Walk, Friendship Store Hongqiao, Hongqiao Art Center, Huijin department store and Parkson Newcore.
“Parking for five hours is free but exceeding that time limit, usual charges apply,” Liang said.
The preferential policy will run through till the end of the year on a trial basis. More office buildings as well as commercial facilities are expected to join the scheme next year, Liang claimed.
Authorities will put up electronic billboards that will display the number of parking lots available. They have also teamed up with Shine Parking Management Co for a parking app, which will be released ahead of the National Day holiday this year.
The move is part of retailers and authorities’ latest efforts to offer convenient access to New Hongqiao-Tianshan business circle.
“We hope it will attract more customers to visit our stores,” said William Wang, head of L’Avenue China Operations. It was Wang, an industry veteran, who initiated the idea.
Major retailers in the business circle reported 19.8 billion yuan (US$2.97 billion) in sales in the first half of the year — up 10.9 percent from a year ago.
Most retailers in the 3.15-square-kilometer area are on Loushanguan Road, Zunyi Road, Tianshan Road and Xianxia Road － two horizontal and two vertical streets on the map.
It is within walking distance from one shopping center to the other.
Five hours of free parking during weekends and national holidays will benefit consumers who can move at ease to anyplace in the business circle as they like.
At the same time, the construction of underground passages beneath Zunyi Road is also nearing completion.
The underground passage will connect all the shopping malls and Metro stations in the area. It will be unveiled next year.
Customers taking Metro or bus have another option for rapid transit in the area － Mobike － a bike rental program that allows users to pick up a pair of wheels for just 1 yuan for half an hour.
The public bicycle service provider has installed dozens of locking piles in the area.
Users can download an app on to their mobile phones and create their own account before using the service. A deposit of 299 yuan is necessary before availing of the service.
Local authorities and retailers have also introduced Internet plus technology to boost sales.
An app pushes discount information as well as digital coupons to its users. It also serves customers with real time tips like information about traffic conditions and sales promotion activities.
In addition, people can file complaints, or rate them or offer advices through the online platform. Authorities and retailers will check the platform in an effort to better the services.
Apart from convenient access and friendly apps, more and more retailers in the area have applied to become departure tax rebate stores. Ronghua international community filled with expatriates is just hundred meters away.
Takashimaya Shanghai, Friendship Store Hongqiao and Huijin department store have started serving foreign customers with tax rebates since Shanghai launched the policy last July.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
