SHKP Quarterly

Cris Fung: Smart management helps SHKP malls navigate pandemic challenges Amid the pandemic, the absence of tourists and the changes in consumption patterns of local residents have resulted in a new normal for the retail market. Group Retail Marketing and Customer Relations General Manager Cris Fung remarked that in the face of the changing market environment, the Group promptly implemented a number of comprehensive anti-pandemic measures, offering customers peace of mind, while continuing to drive smart management in its malls to optimize the level of service. The Group also joined hands with tenants to provide customers with a more refined leisure and shopping experience. Introducing anti-pandemic measures to win customer confidence Cris mentioned that the most important thing for malls is to increase footfall, but social distancing has to be maintained to avoid local outbreaks. Tackling this conundrum has been the greatest challenge for the team. She recalled that at the beginning of the pandemic, the Group decisively introduced a number of anti-pandemic measures, and recruited hundreds of Caring Ambassadors to open doors for visitors, press lift buttons and provide hand sanitizers. “All these anti-pandemic measures were pivotal to let the public know that the Group attaches great importance to raising the malls’ hygiene standards, and as always, putting our customers’ safety first. We firmly believe that every step we take to minimize the risk of virus spread will make the customers feel more at ease when shopping in SHKPmalls,” she explained. Controlling footfall through smart management Cris exclaimed that the early sudden outbreak of the pandemic definitely caught everyone off guard, but the Group had strategically planned ahead years ago to drive facility intelligence and automation in its malls, allowing the team to more swiftly cater to market needs under the new normal. In addition to installing automatic doors and touch-free lift buttons, the Group introduced a contactless parking service in its 19 major SHKP malls to help with social distancing. “To minimize physical contact with others, many customers prefer to drive to the mall instead of taking public transport, leading to a notable increase in demand for our contactless parking service. The number of members registered for this service continues to increase, and these customers tend to have higher consumption ability in particular,” she said. The Group also implemented a number of smart measures which effectively reduced customer waiting time. For example, multiple sensors and digital signs recently installed at restroom entrances indicate the occupancy of the various restrooms and help effectively allocate customers to restrooms that are not as busy to shorten the wait. Since 2019, the malls have offered Eat E-asy e-ticket and e-table bookings, which allow customers to plan their dining arrangements ahead, thus reducing the risk of crowding and encouraging them to make good use of the time saved to shop in themall. Changing needs of consumers and tenants under the new normal As time goes by, malls are not only for shopping and leisure; they are also a popular meeting point. “In the wake of the pandemic, people 集團租務部總經理 Group Retail Marketing and Customer Relations General Manager Cris Fung 馮翊琳 （ 商場市務及客戶關係 ） 18 人物 Vol 101 • Q3 2021 • SHKP Quarterly