Tech To Help Park, Navigate American Dream

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – American Dream visitors will soon have access to technology that can help find parking, navigate between stores and receive real-time updates on various attractions $5 billion shopping and entertainment venue.

Triple Five Group, owner of the Meadowlands megamall, signed a five-year contract with Atos, a technology company, to build and manage “a smart IT experience” for customers and tenants, according to a press release.

Similar applications are already in use at department stores, stadiums, theme parks and museums, and give users personalized messages, alerts and more on their phones.

At American Dream, Atos plans to use multiple sensors and Bluetooth-enabled beacons to help customers quickly find open parking spaces by the stores they want to visit, directions between two locations within the mall, get real-time updates on attractions, view interactive maps and enjoy social media integration, according to the technology company.

Jeff Sheckter, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, American Dream, said, "American Dream has set the new standard in customer experience, one that can adapt and keep pace with customers’ growing expectations to be digitally connected throughout their visit. From getting to the property, navigating all the amazing elements throughout the project, sharing these experiences with their friends and family, and getting back home as efficiently as possible.”

Unlike the traditional mall, American Dream is more entertainment than shopping—55% to 45%, Triple Five's chief executive officer, Don Ghermezian, pointed out.

Given the competition retail faces from online competitors, many shopping centers are seeing increasing vacancies.

As more and more stores close, the make-up of the traditional shopping center is changing, forcing mall owners to try and find new ways to keep people coming in. Attractions such as escape rooms, virtual reality and axe-throwing venues – are popping up at malls across the country.

Sheckter said American Dream "is the evolution of brick-and-mortar retail."

"Experiential retail, world-class entertainment and digital integrations are the differentiating factors between the traditional retail model and the future of physical and omni-channel retail," he said.

Triple Five, projects 110,000 people will visit the complex daily. Between 30 and 40 million people are expected to visit within its first year of opening.

American Dream opened last month, unveiling Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park and an NHL-size ice rink. Other attractions, shopping and dining will follow over the next several months.

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Click here to see a full list of what is opening and when.

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Big SNOW, the country's only indoor real-snow park, will open Dec. 5. It will offer skiing, snowboarding, introductory lessons, private coaching, children's programs, snow play, corporate team building and private events within its 180,000-square-foot, 16-story, climate controlled facility.