With a multitude of tenants to manage, operators of retail destinations need strong property communication tools. But too often, these tools have not kept pace with changing needs risking operational inefficiency. This can lead to wasted time, miscommunication, lack of visibility and unengaged tenants, which in turn increases risk and costs while decreasing revenue.
One of the biggest challenges for operators is notifying tenants of key information and updates effectively and efficiently. Email is still relied on heavily and although this seemingly provides a quick and easy solution, there are potential issues.
Without proper segmentation of contacts, an email may not reach the right people and isn’t trackable. Furthermore, as many retail employees are unlikely to have access to company emails, it then becomes the store manager’s responsibility to keep them informed – leading to a broken chain of communication. With burnout a particular problem in retail, the need to filter information to staff can overburden busy store managers, risking important updates not being conveyed in a timely or effective manner.
As well as utilising email, some operators are opting for manual communication methods such as paper memos and notices. Although this practice may increase reach and visibility, it won’t generate useful data and can have a huge impact on productivity. For example, it could take circa two hours to walk around a shopping centre, hand delivering printed sheets to tenants in every store, restaurant and attraction. On top of the hours it takes to create and manage communications for content management and memos each month, time and costs can quickly accumulate.
