Vicinity Centres (Vicinity), co-owner and operator of Chadstone, the largest shopping and lifestyle destination in the Southern Hemisphere, has launched a mobile app designed to elevate the customer experience and seamlessly connect shoppers with over 500 stores and services.
The Customer
Vicinity is one of Australia’s leading retail property groups dedicated to shaping meaningful places where communities connect. It owns and manages some of the most recognizable and loved retail destinations across Australia. From small community shopping centres to world-class destination centres like the iconic Chadstone in Melbourne and Queen Victoria Building in Sydney, Vicinity’s vision is to prosper with our people and communities by creating Australia’s most compelling portfolio of retail-led destinations.
Its flagship location destination, Chadstone – The Fashion Capital, located 17km from the Melbourne Central Business District, exemplifies Vicinity’s focus on retail experience excellence with unparalleled tenant mix, all-encompassing lifestyle offering, and commitment to sustainability to setting the standard for experience and selection in the Australian retail landscape.
The Challenge
Vicinity sought to elevate the customer experience at Chadstone by transforming its digital offering. Recognizing the growing importance of mobile technology on consumer behavior, Chadstone set out to reimagine the mobile experience—aiming to develop a high-performing, intuitive, and premium digital companion to enhance the shopping experience.
The objectives for the new mobile app included:
- Delivering a premium experience: Aiming to serve as a digital concierge, the app would guide and assist shoppers with booking services and navigating their visit.
- Provide seamless wayfinding: Integrating advanced wayfinding tools to help users search for parking, locate stores and amenities, and move effortlessly through the centre.
- Driving engagement: Encouraging greater app usage through streamlined gift card purchasing, content-rich experiences, and access to events and offers.
The Solution
Chadstone partnered with Inlight, a Melbourne-based digital agency renowned for crafting digital products and experiences. Leveraging Chadstone’s existing indoor mapping, powered by Mappedin, the collaboration fused Inlight's expertise in mobile app development and user experience design with Mappedin’s advanced mapping and navigation technology.
The result is a feature-rich mobile application that includes:
- Interactive 3D mapping
- Real-time blue dot location
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- Comprehensive store and amenity information
In addition to enhancing the in-app experience, these capabilities extend across Chadstone’s ecosystem and are available via the website and in-centre digital directories.
The app was developed using React Native, enabling a flexible, scalable framework with seamless integration of platform data Mappedin’s API ensures fast, reliable map and navigation access, empowering users to locate themselves, explore points of interest, and plan their visit— all from the convenience of their mobile phone.
The Results
Since launch, the new Chadstone app has driven measurable improvements:
- An uplift of 200% in downloads
- Significant uplift in user engagement
- Improved wayfinding and service access
- Higher customer satisfaction and repeat visits
Visitors now enjoy an intuitive digital experience that enhances their shopping experience— making it easier than ever to navigate, discover and interact with Chadstone’s offerings.
In 2024, the app was awarded Best Mobile App at the Australian Web Awards, celebrating its innovative functionality and the collaborative achievement of Vicinity, Inlight, and Mappedin.
Looking ahead, Vicinity and Inlight plan to continue evolving the app through a phased roadmap, introducing new features that provide immediate value to visitors while maintaining a premium user experience.
Daniel Boyle, Centre Manager, Chadstone
Patrick Carne, CEO, Inlight
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