Retailers at Rockdale Plaza are trialling new smart technology designed to understand customer behaviour and deliver personalised promotions, as the centre works to maintain relevance in an era of online shopping and mega-malls.

The pilot program, involving 18 participating retailers, uses a combination of wifi analytics, digital signage, and a dedicated shopping app to create what management calls a “smarter shopping experience.”

“We’re not trying to be Westfield,” said centre manager Tony Vasquez. “We’re a community centre serving local families. But we need to give people reasons to choose us over clicking ‘buy’ from their couch.”

How the Technology Works

The system has several components:

Customer Analytics Anonymous wifi signals track customer movement through the centre, revealing which shops people visit, how long they stay, and common paths between stores. No personal information is collected.

“We can see that customers who visit the pharmacy often also visit the fruit shop,” Vasquez explained. “That helps us think about signage and promotions that might serve both.”

Digital Signage New screens throughout the centre display dynamic content based on time of day, weather, and general foot traffic patterns. On hot days, cold drink promotions appear more prominently. Rainy days trigger campaigns for indoor activities.

Shopping App A new Rockdale Plaza app allows customers to opt into personalised offers from their favourite stores. Users accumulate points across participating retailers, redeemable for discounts.

The technology implementation was supported by an AI consultancy who customised the system for the centre’s specific retail mix and customer base.

Retailer Perspectives

Early participating retailers report encouraging results.

“The app has brought in customers I’ve never seen before,” said gift shop owner Helen Markopoulos. “They come in with their phone showing a discount, they buy something, and many come back without needing the discount.”

Shoe shop owner David Chen appreciated the customer flow data. “I didn’t realise how many people walked past my shop on their way to the supermarket. I’ve changed my window displays to catch their attention better.”

Not all retailers are convinced. Butcher Tony Scalia declined to participate. “My customers know what they want. They don’t need an app to tell them my lamb chops are good.”

Privacy Considerations

Centre management emphasises that the system respects customer privacy.

“The wifi analytics are completely anonymous,” said Vasquez. “We know someone walked from A to B, but we don’t know who they are. The app collects data, but only with explicit consent, and only what customers choose to share.”

Signage throughout the centre explains the technology and how customers can opt out of analytics by disabling wifi on their devices.

Competition Context

Rockdale Plaza faces significant competition from nearby Westfield Hurstville and the growing convenience of online shopping. The technology investment reflects a broader industry trend of smaller centres finding new ways to compete.

“We can’t out-spend the big centres,” Vasquez acknowledged. “But we can be smarter about serving our specific community. Technology helps us do that.”

The pilot program runs until October, after which management will evaluate results and decide whether to expand participation to all retailers.