Cadillac Fairview Launches Immersive Shopping App

Need to Know

• In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, retail developer Cadillac Fairview has launched an “immersive” shopping app that lets shoppers connect with the stores inside its malls.
• LiVE by CF allows users to browse hundreds of thousands of products; access information related to store hours, parking, and COVID-19 precautions; and receive special offers from popular brands.
• According to CF’s EVP of digital and innovation, the pandemic has forced retailers and workspaces all around the world to rethink their processes, and shopping centres are no different.
• Cadillac Fairview owns famous Canadian shopping malls such as the Toronto Eaton Centre, the Rideau Centre, and more.

Analysis

In the midst of the post-pandemic reality, Cadillac Fairview has launched a new mobile app that was developed to enhance the retail shopping experience, whether at home or in-store. 

Cadillac Fairview is one of the largest owners, operators, and developers of retail properties in North America, including popular shopping centres such as CF Toronto Eaton Centre and CF Chinook Centre. Customizable to a user’s local mall, the new app, LiVE by CF, will offer access to hundreds of thousands of products from over 65 retailers. 

Built by an internal innovation team called Ravel, the new app not only allows users to browse thousands of products but also provides information related to COVID-19, see up-to-date opening hours and parking information, as well as receive access to exclusive in-store offers from popular brands like H&M. 

The new app is the latest in a series of pilot programs that CF has been testing to improve shoppers’ digital and physical shopping experiences. 

“We set out to address retailer and consumer pain points across the entire shopping journey from discovery to delivery. Armed with those insights and today’s accelerated pace of change we have an opportunity to move up the launch of products that were on our future development roadmap,” said Jose Ribau, EVP of digital and innovation for Cadillac Fairview.

“The success of CF and our retail clients is inextricably linked and through a focus on digitizing the experience, we are committed to strengthening our relationships with our retail partners and helping them as they navigate this unprecedented time.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced retailers of all kinds to re-evaluate the way they operate, and shopping centres are no different. Ribau agrees that “the new norm requires a whole new level of strategy, planning, innovation and operational adjustment [and] maintains that while e-commerce has changed consumer expectations for convenience and personalization, there is an ‘undeniable draw for Canadians to an immersive physical shopping experience.’”

LiVE by CF is available in French and English for both iOS and Android devices.