Messages PR can offer a wide range or research packages:

Shopping Centre Research and Benchmarking
Centre Service quality & facilities audits

• Part of a regular review of the Shopping Centre portfolio and the way in which Centre management performance is measured and reviewed on a regular basis.
• Audits are conducted on one day four times a year by a skilled "secret shopper."
• Results are collated and a league table of centre performance circulated to reward good management and alert poor performers of the need for improvement.
• Results are part of the KPI's for both centre managers and independent contractors
• Results are cross referenced to the service charge costs for each service. High scores for cleanliness will therefore be checked against the proportion of service charge budget committed to cleaning and the cleaning costs compared with the size of centre.
• Comparisons are not all like for like and the exercise also assists in the review of where facilities are required or even where centres are over specified. In some instances the research may suggest that certain facilities are not necessary or cost effective.
• The review of those facilities beyond the direct control of the centre managers can help recognise areas such as public transport or signposting where parties outside the centre and retailers need to be lobbied.
• Additional audits can be conducted in other local centres to evaluate any need to improve management quality and facilities to stay ahead of the competition. • Results are submitted in a tabulated form with a separate photo sheet.
• Individual results are presented to managers as a league table.

• Cost per Centre per audit is £540 (for six audits or more).
• A six location audit conducted four times per year the cost is £12,960
• Audits are conducted by an independent research company and supported by photographs, logs and transcripts.

Centre tenant review audits

• These audits measure levels of tenant satisfaction with all major elements of the facilities management through a interviews and questionnaires circulated to tenants within the shopping scheme.
• Questionnaires can be anonymous if it is felt there are issues which otherwise may not be confronted.
• Areas reviewed include: • Cleaning • Maintenance • Servicing • Health and Safety • Customer Service • Management • Security • Marketing • Communication • Cost per Centre per audit varies with tenant numbers • Up to 10 tenants £600 per centre • 10 to 20 tenants £750 per centre
• 20 to 30 tenants £900 per centre • 40 to 50 tenants £1,000 per centre
• Questionnaires will be collated and tabulated to allow cross centre and year on year comparisons.
• Specific points will be recorded verbatim • Questionnaires will be followed up but response levels will vary with locations subject to a guaranteed 50% response.

Shopper intercept interviews

• These surveys are an effective way to gain a regular understanding of the retail marketplace by talking to those shoppers already patronising a particular location. A sample of all visitors is established by monitoring customers in the centre over two days.
This profile is then used to define the interview sample of between 350 and 500 interviewees who are asked detailed questions concerning their shopping habits in the centre and in other comparison and convenience retail locations. • Research results are set against a benchmark figure of results generated over five years in over 30 shopping destinations.
• If required results can be presented with comparisons to a particular sub-set of locations such as a single portfolio of shopping centres.
• The research is recorded on a relational data-base and any element of the research can be isolated and analysed in more depth.
For example a detailed review can be made of the shopping patterns of younger shoppers or of those shoppers who do not currently visit a particular store.
• Though the bulk of the research is on a simple question and answer basis comments of shoppers are recorded as quotes and added as an appendix to the research.

• Questions covered include: • Visit frequency for the shopping centre, the location and alternative shopping centres • Dwell time • Stores visited
• Spend per visit • Stores and services requested • Perceptions of centre services and facilities • Alternative shopping destinations visited
• Method of transport used to get to centre • Journey time • Press and radio read and listened to • Awareness of centre advertising
• Post codes of all respondents
• Cost per Centre for a survey: • 350 interview 30 question survey. • To include questionnaire design, target profile setting, field work, collation, presentation and 5 copies of report and recommendations.
Prices from £4,750

Shopper Focus Groups

• A more qualitative approach can be taken via focus groups. Members of the focus groups can be selected by to represent particular customer groups or interest groups. • We recommend at least two sessions to be run with group members similar enough to feel relaxed in each others company and happy to provide plenty of comments and suggestions. • Package can include: • Recruitment of two 8 person focus groups • Hospitality and rewards for focus group members • Design of focus group session and questions • One trained moderator • Transcripts and recordings of focus group sessions
• Summary and recommendations • Stores and services requested

• Cost per Centre for two focus groups: • £poa