Digital communications in retail management | How EldonSQ achieved effectiveness

Many shopping centres continue to rely on outdated practices that are both time-consuming and lack measurable data on their effectiveness. And, as retail environments are forced to evolve and consider how they build and nurture communities, these outdated processes create a bottleneck to success. They create silos.

Retail occupiers, on the other hand, have made concerted efforts to modernise their propositions. The Retail Bulletin estimates that by 2030 retail IT expenditure will hit $9.07 billion, up from $5.48 billion in 2023. On one hand this presents a challenge for shopping centre owners, but on the other, an opportunity.

Communications in retail management is a key area for modernisation. The aim is to streamline operations, adopt data-driven strategies and build engaged communities. Eldon Square saw this as an opportunity and sought to digitise their operations with the Kinexio solution.

“A lot of our communication was going through email, but you can imagine—multiple emails a day, flooding inboxes. Messages became diluted, and retailers started ignoring them. We just weren’t getting the interaction we needed,” explained Daniel Errington-Barnes.

Additionally, staff discount programs were managed through outdated plastic cards, and essential operational documents—such as fire evacuation procedures and waste disposal guidelines—were distributed manually, requiring retailers to print them.

“We were still using plastic staff discount cards. Offers were coming and going, stores were opening and closing, and it was all being managed manually. It was a nightmare,” he said.

Something had to change…

Furthermore, emergency communications were managed via a manual keyholder system and Everbridge, which required a CSV file upload each time an incident occurred.

“We had an evacuation and tried to send a crisis communication, but half the keyholders didn’t receive it because the list was out of date. That was the moment we realised something had to change,” Daniel added.

Software implementation & adoption

From the outset, Eldon Square’s approach to implementing Kinexio was strategic and structured. The management team worked closely with Kinexio’s onboarding specialists to ensure a smooth rollout.

• Customising the platform: The team carefully mapped out the functionality, ensuring that the app would meet their operational needs.

“Kinexio really helped us structure the app. The team advised us on how many buttons to have, how to keep users engaged, and how to make navigation seamless,” Daniel noted.

• Seamless onboarding: The launch was designed to be comprehensive, with 97% of occupiers signing up on the first day.

“We made it mandatory for every store manager to come in and sign up. If they didn’t, the team went around and got them onboard in person. We hit the ground running,” he recalled.

• Iterative enhancements: Over time, the centre refined the app’s content based on user engagement data.

“Some features we thought would be useful weren’t being used, so we repurposed them. The marketing support pack, for example, became a key tool based on occupier feedback,” Daniel added.

Achieving an engaged community

Kinexio has significantly transformed Eldon Square’s operational efficiency and occupier engagement:

Streamlined communications:

• The reliance on email has drastically reduced, with important updates now centralised in the app.

“Occupiers now read things in advance. When we go into meetings, they already know the updates, which makes our conversations much more productive,” said Daniel.

Crisis communication improvements:

• Emergency messaging is now instant and accurate, ensuring all keyholders receive timely updates.

“We’ve got preset messages for evacuations, reoccupation, power failures—everything. I can stand at the assembly point and send a message to everyone instantly. No more running around with a megaphone!” he emphasised.

 Operational efficiency gains:

• The cumbersome manual keyholder list process has been eliminated.
• Routine tasks, such as sharing footfall data and managing staff discounts, are now automated, saving time and reducing administrative burden.

“Footfall reports used to be a massive task on a Monday morning. Now, I just upload the file, and it’s done in seconds. What used to take an hour now takes moments,” he added.

Enhanced ESG performance:

• By eliminating paper-based processes and plastic discount cards, Eldon Square has aligned better with sustainability goals.

“We used to ask retailers to print off pages and pages of documents. It was inefficient and wasteful. Now, everything is digital, and everyone has access instantly,” Daniel noted.

“We’re looking at rolling out facilities management features next—security checklists, fire door checks, all through the app. It makes sense because our staff already use it,” Daniel explained.

Eldon Square’s success with Kinexio is a testament to how digital transformation, when implemented strategically, can drive meaningful operational improvements and strengthen communications in retail management.