Shoppers tagged and snagged
Kelly Mills
MAY 20, 2003 

GLOBAL shopping centre giant Westfield is issuing customers with 
barcode key-tags that will pull through data for a possible massive 
customer relationship management project.  

The first hook to get customers to accept the cards is a Shop For 
Your School campaign.  

At the conclusion of the competition on June 29, Westfield marketing 
general manager Michelle Vanzella said the details of hundreds of 
thousands of Westfield's Australian shoppers would be recorded in 
the database. 

"In the past we have had access to information from shoppers, but 
we have not been able to correlate it in a way that could be used.  

"In the long term, the idea is to know our individual customer 
better, which could include a CRM system."  

Westfield would consider a CRM system in 12 months, she said, 
and was considering rolling out the technology internationally.  

To use the key-tag, which is similar to a video store card, 
shoppers must register online or in-store.  

Each time the registered shopper spends money with Westfield at any 
of its 29 shopping centres nationally, the barcoded card is scanned 
and during the SFYS competition, points are redeemed for the customer's 
nominated school.  

The information supplied by shoppers was recorded on a database that 
was designed in-house, Ms Vanzella said.  

Within six months, services using the information collected by the 
key tag system would be rolled out across Westfield's Australian 
operations, she said.  

In the next three months, data stored on the database would be used 
to co- ordinate services such as wheelchair and Kiddie Shopper hire.  

"In three-to-six months, the key tag will be used for activity 
bookings, such as Kids Club and school holiday programs. Legally 
we are required to get details from people each time they use these 
services, which is cumbersome for those using several of our services," 
she said.  

The system would save customers time, Ms Vanzella said.  

Next year, based on the information collected by the system, 
new services would be rolled out.  

"For example, people who have registered with our SFYS will 
get information about school holiday activities."  

But not all the services would be rolled out at all shopping centres. 
It would depend on the location and characteristics of shoppers, Ms  
Vanzella said. 

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Source: "Australian IT" ...
australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,6460888%5E15306%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

Cheers, Steve..

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