Why it can’t be absent and how to make the most of it

A research by Human Highway[1], published in 2017, talks about how the use of  smartphones has become of fundamental importance in the purchase phase for the majority of Italian consumers.

In fact, in addition to using it to stay connected with friends, relatives and the world of social networks, when we are in a shopping center we often compare products, prices and reviews before buying. For many patrons, the fear of being left with an empty mobile phone, and therefore disconnected and untraceable, is a real phobia[2]. Many are aware that using their mobile phone while shopping will inexorably consume their phone’s battery. The amount of time they are willing to spend in a shopping center to shop is therefore linked to the percentage of battery on their smartphone.

If your customers can’t live without using their smartphone while shopping in a mall, the key is to offer them a service that meets this need and take advantage of the so-called digital revolution to your advantage.

Powerbank sharing, a service that makes cell phone charging stations and totems available, is the key to responding to this need.

Mobile charging stations allow all smartphone owners to recharge their device during their stay in shopping centers. Using a charging station with a power bank also allows users to be able to recharge their smartphone on the go, while shopping, cutting battery drain anxiety out of the equation. Furthermore, this solution does not force users to leave their device inside lockers while charging.

Charging stations with power banks: advantages for shopping centers

In addition to responding to one of the basic needs of contemporary society, one or more mobile charging stations in your shopping center can bring many advantages.

1. Increased dwell time

The earnings of a shopping center, and more generally of any activity, are directly proportional to the average time spent by consumers within the structure: the more time the customer spends in shops and services, the greater their spending will be.

Mobile charging stations in shopping centers increase the time spent by consumers: customers do not leave the shopping center earlier because their mobile phone is out of battery; on the contrary, with the possibility of recharging it on site, they are well prepared to spend more time near the structure. Even more if the recharge service is a service offered by the mall itself.

2. Increased sales

Mobile charging stations increase sales, not only for a factor related to the time spent by each customer. In fact, the charging stations are customizable and can host advertisements which translate into an additional source of income for the shopping center.

3. Customer loyalty

The quality of the service that the customer receives, as well as that of the product he buys, is one of the factors that will make him decide to buy again in that shop and become a regular customer. Offering a mobile top-up service within your shopping center will allow you to differentiate yourself from the competition as well as offering a service that is highly requested and appreciated by customers.

Between two malls with similar characteristics, consumers will choose to return to the one where they can recharge their smartphone without fear of running out of battery while shopping.

4. Image enhancement

Including the mobile top-up service in your shopping center gives you a professional and up-to-date image.

5. Meet digital forms of payment

The mobile phone is not only used while shopping, but also when paying. There are more and more ways in which customers can make a payment simply by bringing their smartphone close to the POS. Charging stations with power banks meet these new forms of payment: if the customer has to pay with their mobile phone, it is of fundamental importance that the battery is always charged and the mobile phone always with them!

Conclusions

Installing a mobile recharge station or totem will allow you to offer an increasingly requested service, and improve the experience of your customers while they shop. Click here to request a Caricami mobile charging station for your center and evaluate its benefits!

References

• 6 Reasons Every Retailer Needs a Phone Charging Solution | Veloxity
• Il ruolo del digitale negli acquisti degli italiani, infografica riassuntiva | Humanhighway
• Nomofobia, la paura di non essere online e rintracciabili | Stateofmind

[1] The role of digital in the purchases of Italians, summary infographic; available here.

[2] Nomophobia, the fear of not being online and untraceable; definition available here.