E-commerce Solution for Shopping Centres During Lockdowns Launched in Canada
Montreal-based SGM, in conjunction with MEDIAVORE, has developed an innovative e-commerce solution for shopping centres.
They say it’s the first online store adapted to malls during a time when brick and mortar retailers are being severely challenged by the economic and health crisis created by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.
The online marketplace brings together products selected from several retailers and it has been launched at the Complexe Desjardins in Montreal — the first shopping centre in the country to adopt this transactional platform.
“What makes this platform a major innovation is that we have successfully integrated a shopping solution that covers all retailers in order to keep revenues in the shopping centres,” said Anissa Errai, VP, Consulting Services and Strategy Group at SGM.
“This is a perfect solution within the current context of the pandemic and it effectively meets the challenge of delivering products on time for the holidays. But it also has enormous potential. As we know, consumers are always seeking greater convenience, speed and flexibility. Our platform offers all three: one site, one order, one bill, products delivered to their door in one delivery or collected at the shopping centre. It also promotes local shopping at a time when our retailers need it the most.”
SGM is a creative marketing agency that focuses on commercial spaces and work, live, and play environments. Since 2003, SGM has worked with some of the biggest Canadian real estate organizations. MEDIAVORE develops e-commerce businesses, web applications, and ERPs that focus on intuitive client-experiences and employee-experiences for automating business processes. DVORE is a customizable e-commerce platform that is integrated in the operations of B2B/B2C e-commerce businesses, marketplaces and transactional platforms.
“We are so pleased that Desjardins has chosen DVORE’s marketplace solution to develop a local shopping platform in partnership with SGM,” added Alexandre Jalbert, Co-founder and Digital Strategist at MEDIAVORE and DVORE.
Errai said the unique site (which is down and relaunches this spring) gives consumers the comfort of shopping from their homes and have everything delivered free of charge (within a four-kilometre radius) in less than 24 hours.
The first phase of the shopping experience included a handful of businesses but the plan is to add more retailers and continue to evolve the concept further in 2021. The second phase will integrate all the stores and restaurants at Complexe Desjardins. Besides delivery service and curbside pickup, customers will also have the option of coming in to pick up their purchases from secure lockers.
Errai said the company hopes to expand the unique shopping experience to other shopping centres and it could be used in a number of other possible applications such as main street areas and neighbourhood business districts.
“We’ve been thinking of this kind of e-commerce platform for shopping malls for quite a while but with the pandemic it accelerated the thinking,” said Errai.
“We’ve done the pilot project with 15 retailers for Christmas. They choose the Christmas gift ideas to put on the platform and to sell it online. The beauty for the consumers is it’s one invoice and one delivery. That’s an innovation there.”
Errai said Complexe Desjardins was the first place to kick off the concept because SGM has been working with the shopping centre for the past few years on its marketing strategy. It was also a great opportunity because it is a downtown shopping mall.
“We do want to propose this to other shopping malls and other groups because we think it will help. Every shopping mall is going to need a platform like that to help multiply their sales,” she said.
“I think there are a lot of advantages of this platform and it could apply to a lot of strategies for different area shopping malls.”
“I think there are a lot of advantages of this platform and it could apply to a lot of strategies for different area
