Attacq, the owners of Mall of Africa in Midrand, has launched SHôPING, a new app to offer online shopping. The app, launched in April 2021, allows The Mall of Africa’s customer and merchant community to access the Dashpay transaction platform. the platform facilitates in-mall navigation, wallet-less shopping and cashless gift card solutions, consolidating communication channels and offering a seamless customer experience to take the brick & mortar experience into the digital space.
SHôPING is set to benefit merchants by increasing basket sizes as customers make use of a bespoke virtual currency – ZAKA – which can be earned and spent at participating stores, alongside a loyalty stamp system and Attacq’s interconnected loyalty programme.
It also changes the way visitors experience the mall, as they are able to navigate around Africa’s largest shopping centre at the touch of a button.
“There’s plenty of potential to expand the scope of the app going forward to include elements like the integration of brand-specific loyalty programmes into the SHôPING world, so that customers can earn and redeem all manner of benefits across programmes and platforms,” says Dashpay Managing Director Benjamin Powell.
Dashpay, a transaction platform products & services provider, has developed the app on behalf of Attacq.
“The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic and requirements around physical distancing and managing visitor numbers has obviously had a massive impact on retailers in the mall environment,” says Powell.
“We’ve worked closely with Attacq to develop an app that adds value for consumers and merchants alike, and makes it quicker and easier to navigate and pay for purchases at Mall of Africa – and beyond.
“There’s plenty of potential to expand the scope of the app going forward to include elements like the integration of brand-specific loyalty programmes into the SHôPING world, so that customers can earn and redeem all manner of benefits across programmes and platforms,” says Powell.
The free multi-layer app supports Attacq’s Customer Experience strategy, which aims to put the customer back at the centre of the retail experience. It leverages the latest smartphone technology and Dashpay’s loyalty, rewards and app development expertise to curate unique experiences for Mall of Africa visitors and will be rolled out to other Attacq-owned properties in a phased approach.
“Our main objective with SHôPING was to integrate the online and offline world for an effective and incentivised user experience,” Jackie van Niekerk, incoming CEO at Attacq, says.
“We wanted to help facilitate customer product research at home in the build to that potential shopper’s planned trip to the mall. By leveraging smartphone and cloud technology we were able to deliver a personalised experience that engages the customer even before they arrive at the mall.”
SHôPING is currently available for download for Android and iOS platforms, and sign-up is quick and free.
Also read: Nedbank Super App Avo Is Bringing Digital Malls
Sandton City Mall became the first big shopping centre to offer online shopping via Nedbank’s new Avo super app.
Nedbank through its super app Avo is now allowing users to shop from digital malls.
“Avo by Nedbank is bringing digital malls to the South African market with Sandton City being the first to launch,” said the bank.
It added that this creates an immersive ‘mall’ experience in the palm of your hand.
The digital mall is a first for any digital platform on the continent, opening up a luxury shopping experience across borders.
Avo’s Click and Collect lounge feature lets users shop items from multiple stores in Sandton City, pay for goods on the app, and gives them the choice between home delivery or collection from the Avo lounge lockers at Sandton City.
