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Shopping centers are making a comeback . While a combination of the pandemic and a longestablished shift to e-commerce seemed to spell the end of brick-and-mortar stores , footfall has steadily been rising in recent times . Shopping center operators are spurring this resurgence by transforming traditional malls into retail ‘ destinations ’, with a huge emphasis on providing multiple services and amenities under one roof and enhancing the customer experience overall . In delivering facilities and engineering services across 28 million sq . ft of shopping center space in England and Wales , we see this transformation happening first-hand .
Unique destinations and demands
Shopping centers share many of the same built environment challenges that every modern business faces . They need to ensure the health and safety of the people who use their sites , adhere to regulatory compliance , manage costs , adjust to changing consumer habits and expectations by right sizing their portfolio and digitizing where possible , and strive for increasingly ambitious environmental goals including net zero .
However , for the transformation into destination to happen , shopping centers need to align their facilities and maintenance strategy with a unique set of requirements . As any operator knows , the number one priority is always the safety , comfort , and convenience of customers . And happy customers make for happy retailers . This means ensuring that the lighting is great , the temperature is right , the space is clean , areas such as automatic doorways and escalators work , and there is as little disruption to the customer ’ s experience as possible .
In this respect , well-considered facilities management and maintenance can result in fewer unplanned breakdowns and less operational downtime , cost savings from fewer repairs , a longer lifespan for all assets , better energy efficiency , enhanced property value , and of course , higher retailer and customer satisfaction .
Putting a plan together
The first step of any maintenance strategy must be to create an asset register to record all fixed and removable assets and then classify them in order of criticality . This should begin with all critical items , including power supply systems , life safety systems , lighting , washrooms , and lifts - then expand to everything else that maintenance can be tracked against , such as windows , floors , and doors .
Once the inventory is in place , a maintenance plan can be put in place for each asset . Reactive repairs when things go wrong are inevitable , but a comprehensive planned preventative maintenance ( PPM ) schedule will ensure such incidents are reduced . A PPM schedule outlining the frequency of inspections should be based on the manufacturer ’ s recommendations , compliance requirements ,
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