Hawthorn Mall, a super-regional shopping center in Vernon Hills, a suburb just north of Chicago (www.shophawthornmall.com), announced today it has launched a new e-commerce platform called “Shop Now!” that will enable its customers to search all products and in-store inventories from select stores in the mall using Hawthorn Mall’s existing website. Shoppers can then decide if they prefer to use the tool to purchase online, request curbside delivery, or simply pre-plan their in-person visit.
“We’re so proud to unveil our ground-breaking new Shop Now! platform today,” says Jeff Rutzen, General Manager for the shopping center. “When COVID struck, we quickly implemented Retail To Go, and through the success of that program, we realized that we need to work with shoppers in new and inventive ways that make the experience more convenient and accessible for them. That’s exactly what the new Shop Now! platform does. It’s a groundbreaking new platform that merges online and in-person shopping, allowing people to continue to experience shopping at the local level with all the conveniences of online shopping at their fingertips.”
According to Hawthorn Mall’s owner, Centennial, a real estate investment firm with a national portfolio of shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations, the new Shop Now! platform is a first in the U.S. market, created in partnership with Adeptmind, a leading technology company specializing in artificial intelligence and e-commerce applications. Centennial is rolling out Shop Now! on the websites of each of its shopping centers nationwide, including Hawthorn Mall, in advance of the holiday shopping season. For more information, click here: http://ow.ly/NQoG30rgxoL.
“Retail isn’t about brick-and-mortar vs. online shopping,” says Steven Levin, Centennial’s CEO. “It’s about the seamless convergence of these two channels in a way that makes sense for the consumer. That’s what our new Shop Now! platform – and our partnership with Adeptmind – will accomplish.”
The Shop Now! platform is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. There are no apps to download; it’s as simple as visiting the Hawthorn Mall website and using the search bar or clicking Shop Now! from the main navigation (https://shopnow.shophawthornmall.com/) to shop and compare the products of select Hawthorn Mall retailers. Shoppers will be able to search for any product they are looking for – “red shoes” for example – and the site will display all the red shoes available from the directory of applicable Hawthorn Mall retailers. Visitors can also book services like hair and nail appointments or order food from Hawthorn Mall restaurants through the Hawthorn Mall website directory. Orders can be placed online, or the platform can simply be used to pre-plan an in-person visit.
The center’s new Shop Now! e-commerce platform will be rolled out in two phases. In Phase 1, which launched last week, over 70% of the retailers at Hawthorn Mall have listed their inventories on the platform, with the majority expected to be accessible by the holiday shopping season and the remaining, mostly local retailers, being brought on board over time. The goal is to have 100% retailer participation, something Hawthorn Mall expects to achieve by the time Phase 2 rolls out next year.
In the first phase of the new Shop Now! program, once shoppers make their selections, purchases will be completed via individual retailer transactions at checkout. Based on each individual retailer’s service options, customers will also be given the opportunity to ship their purchases directly to their home, request curbside delivery, or visit the mall in person to pick them up. The second phase of the Shop Now! platform will include a streamlined single-cart checkout process as well as the addition of physical hubs for easy pick-ups and returns.
About Adeptmind
Adeptmind was founded in 2017 by two former employees of the Microsoft-exited tech startup Maluuba. As a leading AI based, e-commerce product discovery company, Adeptmind uses state-of-the-art active and deep learning techniques to enhance the customer purchasing journey. With offices in Toronto, San Francisco and Paris, Adeptmind supports more than 400 retailers, shopping centers, and small- to medium businesses with innovative technology in and around the world. To learn more, visit the Adeptmind website at www.adeptmind.ai and follow Adeptmind on LinkedIn.
About Centennial
Centennial is a national owner of major shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations. Rooted in retail since 1997, the company is focused on shaping the evolution of American retail by creating a superior multi-faceted shopping experience. Centennial properties serve not only as a place of commerce, but a place of community. For more information, visit CentennialREC.com.
About Hawthorn Mall
Located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, Hawthorn Mall has been the preferred shopping and dining destination in Lake County since 1973. While the center currently boasts more than 120 specialty retailers, including Lake County’s only Maggiano’s and a state-of-the-art AMC Hawthorn 12 theater, Hawthorn has recently embarked on a comprehensive redevelopment that will transform the property from a traditional shopping center into a master-planned mixed-use development. This redevelopment, which represents the largest capital investment in the property since its grand opening nearly half a century ago, will redefine the customer experience and expand the center’s trade area by creating a new and distinctive sense of place that will continue to evolve with the community for generations to come. To learn more, visit the Hawthorn Mall website at www.shophawthornmall.com and follow the center on Facebook and Instagram.
*This post is sponsored by Hawthorn Mall