Press Release | Trafford Centre in Manchester Introduces Living Map’s Dynamic, Digital Mapping to Allow Shoppers to Seamlessly Navigate the Mall

Studies show that, on average, shoppers lose 15 minutes of shopping time due to difficulties locating their vehicle or finding their way around the mall. 

At 2.2million square feet, with over 200 shops, restaurants and leisure activities, navigating Manchester’s Trafford Centre can often be a challenge for some visitors - reducing shopping time and potentially leading to increased overwhelm and stress.

To improve the experience for visitors, and deliver a seamless, efficient journey,  Trafford Centre has implemented a digital solution to improve wayfinding and accessibility, with a live, digital map available on the centre’s website and on screens throughout the mall. 

The map will detail each retailer within the centre, car parks, entrances and services such as toilets, guest services and escalators/lifts. It will offer live intelligence on each of these retailers and services, for example, if an escalator is out of service this will be highlighted on the map. Customers can also input where they want to go, such as a particular store, and the map will provide a direct route to that location. 

“We are delighted to introduce our innovative digital map solution at Trafford Centre, which marks a significant step forward in enhancing the overall visitor experience. This state-of-the-art technology is designed to seamlessly guide shoppers, improve accessibility, and provide real-time information tailored to individual needs. We believe it will not only elevate convenience and ease of navigation but also bring added value to the mall's retailers by driving foot traffic and optimising customer engagement. We’re confident that this new addition will have a profound positive impact on both visitors and businesses alike," said Peter Asman, Chief Revenue Officer at Living Map.

Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, added: "We’re constantly looking for ways to elevate the experience for our visitors and this new partnership with Living Map demonstrates our commitment to innovation. The implementation of digital mapping is a significant milestone in our journey to improve navigation throughout the centre, ensuring that shoppers can easily find their way around, locate their favourite stores, and make the most of their time here. We believe this will have a lasting impact on shopper satisfaction and will further enhance the overall appeal of Trafford Centre as a premier retail destination."

This is where Living Map’s digital mapping and wayfinding solution played a pivotal role. Trusted by some of the world’s most complex spaces, including Canary Wharf, King’s Cross, St. Pancras International, and The Met, Living Map’s technology enables retail spaces to provide visitors with a smooth shopping experience, guiding them effortlessly through the space.

Living Map for Retail - How does it work?

Digital wayfinding & mapping: Drive retail engagement

The Living Map Platform promotes specific stores or attractions by giving routing suggestions to map users, leading to increased shopper engagement and improved experience. The map provides visitors access to simple mobile and kiosk wayfinding, meaning shoppers can spend more time exploring the facility and less time looking for directions. 

According to the Papworth Trust, 20% of disabled individuals face challenges navigating shopping environments. Living Map’s digital mapping addresses this by providing stair-free routes and multilingual options, ensuring that all visitors can navigate the space confidently, regardless of mobility or language preference.

It’s more than digital wayfinding & mapping: Living Map is also designed to improve operations

Living Map’s product suite includes features to improve operations within complex environments, leading to smarter space management. Real-time asset tracking allows operations to track the location of valuable equipment and staff at all times, deploying them to tasks quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Living Map’s analytics dashboard allows operations to understand the most popular paths, which shops are most in demand, and potential bottlenecks, allowing for optimal space usage. 

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About Living Map

Living Map is a market leading dynamic, digital mapping platform, transforming the world’s most complex indoor and outdoor spaces. Living Map’s product suite is built up of routing and wayfinding, asset tracking, the analytics dashboard and the map manager system. 

Living Map has earned the trust of global clients in transportation, healthcare, retail, culture, and smart spaces, including notable names like the NHS, Canary Wharf, St. Pancras International, and the Met Museum. For more information, go to www.livingmap.com 

LinkedIn: /living-map

X: @LivingMap

Instagram: @livingmapcompany

TikTok: @livingmapcompany 

About Trafford Centre

At Trafford Centre we are passionate about creating compelling experiences that make our visitors smile, help our brands succeed and communities thrive. 

We welcome 30 million visitors every year to our 280 brands, including Selfridges, John Lewis, Zara Next, Marks & Spencer and a 20-screen ODEON cinema.

We are committed to our local communities, supporting over 10,000 jobs (representing about six per cent of the local retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility.   For more information, go to www.traffordcentre.co.uk

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