Shopping centres are upping the ante to lure shoppers in store this Christmas

As the Christmas shopping season kicks off across the country with the addition of Black Friday sales this week, many Australians are braving in-store shopping following COVID-19 lockdowns.

But will the bulk of consumers instead opt for online shopping to avoid the risk of going out while the threat of the virus remains?

In its recently released Inside Australian Online Shopping Update, Australia Post revealed more than 8.5 million households shopped online between March and October this year, an increase of 13.7% year-on-year.

Victoria has held the highest share of online shopping purchases since July, but as physical stores opened with the easing of restrictions in October, this slowed growth to 34%, which is down two percentage points month-on-month.

With all states and territories currently reporting zero or very low COVID-19 cases, it appears shoppers are regaining confidence to return to stores.

In Deloitte’s annual Retailers’ Christmas Survey, it was found that in Australia, shoppers felt much more at ease being in store when compared to the rest of the world, with 72% of Australian consumers feeling confident about going into a store, compared to 61% in the US and 55% in the UK.

National leader of Deloitte’s Retail, Wholesale & Distribution Group David White said while it is clear the shift to online and digital shopping has been accelerated due to the pandemic, the in-store experience is still popular.

“Looking at consumers’ intended shopping channel, in-store remains the priority destination, representing an opportunity for retailers to remind consumers that one of the joys of Christmas can be shopping. Over 68% of retailers have identified ‘digital and omni’ and ‘customer engagement and experience’ as strategic priorities in the weeks leading up to Christmas,” Mr White said.

New hygiene standards and check-in protocols are now standard when entering a retail business, but for most, this is a small price to pay for a return to normality.

However, there is more than one reason why consumers might have a better experience with in-store shopping than online this holiday period, with high-tech and luxury services being offered by leading retailers and shopping centres post-pandemic. Here are four standouts.

1. Heat mapping

Heat mapping has been introduced in shopping centres to identify clusters of people. Picture: Getty

Vicinity Centres, which owns 20 shopping centres across Melbourne, including Chadstone, has introduced heat mapping to its centres to monitor social distancing in a bid to counter potential outbreaks of COVID-19.

After The Butcher Club outlet at Chadstone was linked to multiple cases in October, it was vital for the organisation to demonstrate to the public that every attempt was being made to ensure their safety while shopping.

Vicinity Centres chief executive Grant Kelley said safety remains a top priority for the organisation.

“We’ve been working hard, alongside our retailers, to get our Melbourne centres ready for the reopening of retail with thorough COVID-safe plans in place utilising new technologies,” Mr Kelley said.

The heat mapping system will identify where large groups are forming across the centres and send out team members to move these shoppers along.

2. SocialQ technology

In addition to heat mapping, digital queuing system SocialQ will be rolled out in Vicinity and Westfield centres in the coming weeks to help retailers reduce capacity and congestion in their stores.

Customers can also plan their visit to the shopping centre from home through SocialQ by pre-booking their visit according to real-time data, which shows visitor numbers in the shopping centre.

Luxury services such as valet parking makes in-store shopping a unique experience. Picture: Getty

3. Luxury accommodation

For those who need to travel from far and wide to do their Christmas shopping, Hotel Chadstone is where shoppers can get a 5-star experience after a day of tapping and swiping credit cards.

The hotel recently reopened on 9 November after being closed during the strict lockdown period in Melbourne.

Rooms start at $229 per night.

4. Valet Parking

Westfield and Chadstone shopping centres both offer valet parking to take the pain out of finding somewhere to leave the car while shopping.

At Chadstone, not only will the valet attendants park a customer’s car, but they will also do parcel pick up from anywhere in the centre and pack it into the car while the customer continues shopping.