We attract 220 million shopper visits annually across our retail centres in South Africa and Spain, driving sustainable growth for all our stakeholders. A large part of our success in providing a superior customer experience is driven by data analytics. By utilising an innovative bouquet of advanced data tools and technologies, we get to know our visitors and tenants well. We set the trends in retail property by using best-in-class data systems to understand the needs and expectations of local communities better than anyone else.
Early adoption of fibre
Our early adoption of comprehensive data reticulation and extensive Wi-Fi coverage sets us apart. By installing Wi-Fi access points throughout our shopping centres, we gather rich data on shopper journeys, providing detailed insights into shopper behaviour. We share this data with our property management teams, enabling them to make informed decisions that optimise tenant mix and enhance the shopping experience.
Comprehensive Data Tools and Insights
We leverage an eclectic suite of data tools to gather comprehensive insights about shopper behaviour and preferences. Marijke Coetzee, Vukile’s Director of Marketing and Communications, explains, “Our in-depth data gives us the ability to slice and dice information depending on what we want to achieve and the task at hand. We have multiple levels of information coming from a variety of tools, including mobile, internet, geo-positioning technologies, psychographics, and other resources.”
These tools give us detailed data on property and shopper origins and destinations, allowing us to analyse competitor areas and shopper movement patterns. We use real-time data to track movement within malls, offering insights into shopper behaviour, conversion rates, and individual psychographics. Geo-fencing enables in-depth area analysis, helping us optimise tenant placement and marketing strategies. We are also able to benchmark trading statistics, comparing tenant performance within the same business line and against competitors.
Free shopper Wi-Fi and data analysis
Through the captive portal of our free shopper Wi-Fi, we gather over 25 individual data points. Shoppers log in by answering tailored questions, providing valuable insights into their preferences and behaviours. Questions may reveal how far shoppers travel to visit the mall or their preferred brands. This dynamic environment allows us to continuously refine our customer-centric approach.
Extensive data analysis
Vukile’s data analysis covers various levels, including catchment areas, competition, stops, dwell time, income, trading stats, and tenant analysis. Detailed data categories provide insights into visitor sources, competitive landscapes, non-local shopper dependence, visitor preferences, and local engagement opportunities. Additional characteristics such as mall size, app usage, tenant numbers, Wi-Fi availability, parking, and location help us tailor the shopping experience to different customer bases.
Research insights for tenants
From this information, as well as financial data collected from our tenants and property managers, Vukile can provide operational insights that guide and inform business decisions. We know where and how often our customers shop, what time they arrive, if they stay on to socialise, and how they get home. This rich data provides us with very detailed shopper journeys. It enables the business to share certain levels of information within our ecosystem and pull out unique statistics, such as in-depth analysis reports for potential tenants.
Tenant support and mix
Vukile enhances tenant support by analysing physical shopper engagement. For example, tenant performance and shopability data is overlaid and that assists us in advising tenants to tailor their strategies to convert shopper interest into sales. As Vukile’s Managing Director Southern Africa, Itumeleng Mothibeli, says, “Getting a great tenant mix is a scientific process if you have access to the right data and know how to use it. You need to get the mall layout correct to make it more convenient for shoppers and to assist your tenants. If, for instance, you cluster shops with similar offerings together, you can create a dead cluster in the shopping centre.”
Building communities
We deliver growth by better understanding the communities we serve and data plays a pivotal role in this. “Vukile owns retail property assets valued at a total of R40 billion across South Africa and in Spain,” says Marijke, “While visitors have different needs, we can apply the same principle of making sure we understand and engage with communities in all territories where we operate. The detailed data Vukile makes use of ensures we know our communities’ needs, and this literally drives everything from the mall’s tenant mix to our marketing and promotions.”
Ethics and good governance
Vukile prioritises compliance and data protection, ensuring adherence to POPIA and GDPR regulations. By owning our data and implementing strict IT policies, we protect shopper data privacy and ensure secure data handling. “No personalised data is ever shared; we only use anonymous data for trend analysis and similar insights across our ecosystem,” confirms Marijke, “We have strict IT policies to block a range of content, including live streaming and blacklisted sites. Our advanced firewall technology ensures we provide the highest level of data protection.”
Building communities, growing value
We use the best-in-class data processes and systems to understand the needs of our customers and tenants better than anyone else. Our multi-faceted consumer behaviour research, combined with our deep understanding of the communities we serve, sets us apart. There’s never been a better time to be part of our resoundingly strong, sustainable business.
