Largest open-air shopping center in Germany eases parking complexity, increases intelligence gathering and enhances the shopping experience with smart parking technologies

LAKE FOREST, Ill. & MUNICH– (BUSINESS WIRE) – Cleverciti, a leader in comprehensive, high-tech solutions for smart parking, today announces that Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Ruhr Park shopping center,Germany’s largest open-air shopping center, has deployed Cleverciti’s advanced smart parking solution to monitor more than 2,600 outdoor spaces. Cleverciti’s high-end artificial intelligence (AI) sensors immediately guide visitors to any available area, eliminating unnecessary driving and wasted time when searching for a parking space.

With information updated every few seconds, Cleverciti sensors and its omnidirectional LED guidance system CIRC360™ combine to deliver instantaneous data on available parking spaces at the entrance to each parking aisle. Cleverciti’s AI and edge-computing sensors provide consistent reliability and offer the highest level of accuracy in all weather conditions. Comprehensive 360-degree sensors and signage are installed on existing lampposts and other poles to reduce the need for additional hardware and infrastructure investments, delivering additional ROI for the organization.

By leveraging the power of Cleverciti’s smart parking solution, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has invested in a sophisticated, resilient and efficient smart parking platform that eases parking complexity and provides more time to shop for the more than 11 million people that visit the facility annually. A mobile app, which provides directions to free parking spaces that are close to the areas they want to shop in real-time, empowers drivers to focus on the tasks at hand rather than searching for a space.

Ruhr Park is Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s third shopping center in Germany to be awarded with a 4-star label – a customer service initiative that represents the highest level of quality, service and shopping experience within the Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield group. The 4-star facilities have to meet a total of 734 criteria to secure this rating. With a consistent focus on innovation and service, the shopping center strives to stay ahead of technology trends and invests in solutions that propel intelligence, operational efficiency and convenience.

“We selected Cleverciti because its intelligence and integrated smart parking technologies and services will facilitate a hassle-free parking experience for our clients,” said Andreas Ulmer, Center Manager, Ruhr Park. “In today’s complex retail environment, it’s essential that shoppers are provided with extraordinary service, convenience and efficiency at the places they choose to shop. Cleverciti supports our broader roadmap initiatives with the opportunity to streamline our parking operations while enhancing communication, which helps future-proof our investment and drive additional value across our organization.”

In addition to reducing visitor challenges, the Cleverciti smart parking platform also offers the shopping center management new levels of intelligence and real-time insight into the use of the outdoor parking areas, including the length of stay of each car, use of certain areas, historical data and heat maps on traffic patterns. Customized alerts can also be set for designated zones, such as loading areas where parking is prohibited. Cleverciti also easily integrates with other networked devices to enable organizations to build more advanced Internet of Things (IoT) deployments as needs expand over time.

“The Cleverciti smart parking solution is the ideal platform for high-traffic and dynamic areas, like shopping centers and retail facilities, that require the highest degree of intelligence. Shopping starts in the parking areas, therefore, it is critical to deliver a streamlined parking experience to ensure visitor satisfaction from the beginning,” said Markus Grauvogl, Vice President of Sales, EMEAR, Cleverciti.

Cleverciti has more than 54 installations in 18 countries around the world. Its comprehensive suite of smart parking solutions is an ideal choice for organizations focused on a forward-thinking approach to customer service that also seeks to streamline parking and turn parking assets into revenue generators.