8/15/2013
It’s impossible to visit a U.S. mall without seeing teens tethered to their cellphones. And retailers embrace the latest technology trends to entice them into their stores. Yet, this confluence of technology and shopping presents some challenges to mall operators, according to Simon Property Group’s David Simon. “Well, look, that whole area, we are treading very, very carefully because it is lots of privacy concerns,” says Simon. “Until the folks in Washington feel good about it, we are watching it and we’re not really playing in any of that stuff because we really don’t know what kind of privacy violations it may generate. So I would tell you that we’re treading very, very carefully and have done nothing along the lines that would be able to track anything like that, period, end of story.”
Nonetheless, Simon Malls is upgrading to Wi-Fi networks, beginning with its largest outlets. After that, Simon is taking a wait-and-see attitude. “But to the extent that it can help facilitate our retailers, we’re happy for them to participate. But again, I would tell you, on the privacy front, we’re not doing anything. We’re treading very, very carefully,” says Simon. In other words, don’t expect to see GPS-location inside the mall in the near future.
SOURCE: Simon Property Group, David Simon, CEO, 115 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204; dsimon@simon.com; www.simon.com.
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