- Users per month: 150,000
- Total Area: 643K sq. ft.
- Retail Units: 140
- Shopping Mall
- Improved shopper experience
- Guest WiFi
- User Engagement
- Indoor/outdoor WiFi Roaming
- Branded User Experience Portal
- Bandwidth Management
- 24/7 NOC Services
With a commitment to enhancing customer experience and engagement, Mercato Mall sought to better understand shopper behavior and the factors driving their decisions. As one of the largest shopping destinations in Western UAE—spanning over 643,000 square feet, housing more than 140 stores, diverse dining options, a dedicated children’s play area, and a state-of-the-art 700-seat cinema—the mall needed a sophisticated solution to gather actionable insights.
Understanding our shoppers’ behavior is essential for creating effective marketing campaigns. It allows us to tailor experiences, anticipate customer needs, and foster long-term engagement. Data-driven insights empower us to make strategic decisions that enhance both customer satisfaction and business growth.
Debbie Russo, Director of Marketing and Communications at Mercato Mall
Traditional footfall counting methods proved insufficient, as they only provided basic visitor numbers without detailing how long customers stayed, whether they were repeat visitors, or their movement patterns within the mall. Furthermore, conventional methods often led to inaccuracies—such as counting children multiple times as they moved around—making data unreliable. Additionally, customer self-reported shopping behaviors were often inconsistent or incomplete.
“To truly understand our customers, we need to observe their real behavior within the shopping center,” Russo explains. ” We want to know where visitors go upon arrival, how long they stay in different areas, and which stores they actually enter. These insights are invaluable for refining our marketing strategies and enhancing the overall shopping experience.
By leveraging advanced WiFi analytics through a secure captive portal, Mercato Mall can now track real-time shopper movement, analyze dwell times, and deliver personalized promotions based on customer behavior. This data-driven approach enables the mall to optimize its marketing strategies, improve tenant sales, and create a more engaging and seamless experience for shoppers.
Since its opening in 2002, Mercato Mall has remained committed to providing an exceptional shopping experience. Today, visitors can enjoy seamless and complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the mall, powered by EZELINK®’s advanced wireless access points.
“We chose EZELINK for its expertise in the retail sector, ease of deployment, and robust location tracking capabilities,” says Moinudeen, IT Manager at Mercato Mall.
With approximately 70% of mall visitors carrying smartphones, the implementation of EZENGAGE has transformed the way data is utilized. Once users accept the terms and conditions for free Wi-Fi, the system automatically identifies whether they are first-time visitors or returning customers. Throughout their visit, the EZENGAGE tracks movement patterns, identifying areas visited and duration of stay.
“This technology enables us to understand visitor behavior, including how people navigate the mall during special events,” Moinudeen explains. “These insights help us enhance customer engagement and optimize marketing strategies effectively.”
The EZELINK wireless network and EZENGAGE solution can simultaneously track up to 50,000 mobile devices, providing precise location insights in common areas such as corridors and food courts. EZELINK is continuously enhancing its technology to differentiate between store visits and nearby foot traffic, addressing challenges like interference from electronic devices and private store WiFi networks.
EZESMART Analytics delivers detailed shopper insights, including:
- Visit frequency by customer segment (e.g., moviegoers, fashion shoppers).
- New vs. returning visitors to assess marketing campaign effectiveness.
- Dwell time analysis, categorizing visitors based on time spent in different areas (e.g., less than 5 minutes, 5–15 minutes, or 15+ minutes), offering deeper insights beyond traditional footfall metrics.