“Within minutes you would get a bell cart to help with your bags,” Scalice said.
Caruso Affiliated, which owns the Americana and the Grove in Los Angeles, is hoping the app will make shopping experiences at its malls more exciting and convenient, said Paul Kurzawa, executive vice president of operations for the company.
“If [shoppers] want to figure out who’s got the best discounts and sales, they’ve got that in the palm of their hands,” Kurzawa said.
Although other malls and retailers offer mobile applications, the Americana’s is the most interactive one available, said Alonso Vargas, vice president of technology and operations for Runtriz, which developed the software.
The company launched its Evolution technology in 2008 and now has 12 clients running the product, most of which are hotels, Vargas said.
Malibu Beach Inn, the first business to adopt the software, saw its room service orders jump 25% over the first 120 days after offering the app to guests, Vargas said. In-room merchandising and software jumped 30%, he said.
Caruso hopes the same will happen at the malls when consumers begin using its software, which allows visitors to request a store item — like an article of clothing or a video game console — be held by the concierge.
It also offers an option to view promotions, discounts and special events being offered by each store, Kurzawa said.
The approach will likely be a hit with shoppers who are becoming increasingly familiar with and intrigued by mobile applications, like those found on the iPhone and other smart phones, said Carol Scott, professor of marketing at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
“IPhone apps are really popular for a reason,” she said. ”People like to use them.”
She speculated that the approach would succeed in offering greater convenience to shoppers in a high-tech and appealing manner.
Others, however, had their doubts.
“In the long run, it’s hard to tell,” said Harold Kassarjian, professor of marketing at the Cal State Northridge College of Business. “In the short-run, it’s a gimmick. The usual gimmicks [retailers have] been using haven’t been working too well and these people have been sitting around trying to figure out what gimmicks they can use.”
But the app could offer customers a higher level of service that might be more attractive in an environment where shoppers are increasingly picky about where they spend their money, said Jack Kyser, chief economist of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
“It’s kind of interesting, and it raises the level of service to your customers,” Kyser said.
