Mall of America goes mobile with experience upgrade

Visiting the expansive Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, has always been an experience for shoppers, but a recent digital upgrade takes that experience to a new level.



At 5.6 million sq. ft., visiting the Mall of America’s 520 stores, indoor theme park, aquarium and countless restaurants can be amazing and overwhelming at the same time. To enhance the experience for shoppers, the nation’s largest retail and entertainment complex created a mobile app that boasts a wide range of features to simplify and elevate visitors’ experience while increasing engagement opportunities for retailers.



“The Mall of America app puts 5.6 million sq. ft. in the palm of our guest’s hand, allowing them to focus on building an experience that will make their trip special,” said Emily Shannon, digital director at Mall of America. “We’re always looking for opportunities to improve our services, and this tool will be an essential way for us to innovate. We have a lot of ground to cover – literally – and we look forward to making more announcements around our extended mobile offerings in the near future.”



Mall of America undertook development of the first version of its mobile app with the goal of making the venue more accessible for guests, a mindset that is evident in the functionality the app offers. For example, the app features indoor mapping and wayfinding technology that allows real-time location updates as guests walk past stores and attractions. There’s even a map that shows visitors their next destination from a bird’s eye view. Those who need further assistance, or have questions about their visit, can select “concierge” to talk with a mall representative to get directions, restaurant recommendations and store information.



For visitors who want to plan ahead, they can choose the list feature to create a “perfect day” and line up events, stores and deals or save their parking location by recording a memo or taking a photo of their spot. To further simplify parking, paperless valet service is also linked to the app, so guests can drop their car at the valet lounge and notify the staff via the app when they are ready to retrieve their car.