Centre Manager Bobby Nicholson Explains The Positive Impact Péarlaí Has Had On The Richmond Shopping Centre

The Richmond Shopping Centre in Derry/L’derry first began using Péarlaí’s platform in 2019, with an aim of improving customer loyalty, engagement, and increasing sales and footfall in the centre and participating stores.

Two years on from the launch, we decided to catch up with Centre Manager, Bobby Nicholson, to get an insight into his thoughts on Péarlaí and whether our technology has helped the centre reach key objectives.

When you first considered using retail technology, what problems were you looking to solve?

We knew we needed a loyalty solution of some kind to show our shoppers we valued their custom and would keep them coming back time and time again. I had investigated a number of different solutions such as wi-fi tracking and Apps but from experience knew they would not have the longevity we required as shoppers get bored and annoyed with those types of solutions.

What made you choose Péarlaí?

Péarlaí was recommended to us by another centre manager and as soon as I met with Peter I knew Péarlaí would meet all our requirements. Péarlaí had proven results for retailers and 10’000s of registered users which was enough for me.

What have been the greatest benefits from using Péarlaí’s platform?

Our tenants have found Péarlaí to be a very easy way to let their loyal customer know about things such as new stock instore or promotions they are running. Having a system that shows our tenants how many shoppers actually enter their store after receiving a customer engagement from them gives them confidence that their marketing budget is being used effectively.

Has Péarlaí helped you reach your goals?

Yes, The Richmond centre has seen thousands of shoppers register to become VIP’s in the first few months and it continues to grow every week. Shoppers love being a Richmond VIP as they receive discounts from multiple stores, they get rewarded for their loyalty and all with a simple but effective smart key fob. Our retailers are seeing an increase in visits and dwell time so we are very happy with the results to date.

What has it been like to work with Péarlaí, and would you recommend the platform to others?

Peter and his whole team have been excellent from day one. The Péarlaí team engage with our retailers regularly advising them on what works best and have taken suggestions from us as management on features which we thought would help our tenants and shoppers. I worked closely with Peter and the Péarlaí team when Covid first came on solutions which would help us manage the situation as best we could. Péarlaí are always on hand to help and advise if needed, they really care about The Richmond centre succeeding. Yes, I would recommend them in a heartbeat.