The Use of Apps for Shopping Malls: A Market Overview for Austria, Germany and Switzerland

This research paper focuses on the appliance of real estate applications (RE-Apps) concerning apps in the field of shopping malls. For shopping malls apps are used as a marketing instrument and there are several RE-Apps concerning indoor mapping and orientation in the existing building. Apps are small programmes on smartphones or tablets, which are classified by their usage. A sub-classification is made for the ability of Augmented Reality (AR) functions.In the German speaking region only a view shopping malls offer an application for their customers. Our paper gives a market overview of which shopping malls in Austria, Germany and Switzerland have launched an app. Furthermore a comparison of the different app functionalities is given. First results have been shown at the International Jubilee Conference of the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) conference 2012 in Sofia, Bulgaria.The field of applications for real estate is not yet explored, especially the usage of apps for shopping malls. The work is based on extensive literature research providing a methodical comparison of applications available and qualitative interviews with several shopping mall marketing managers in Austria. Based on the results of the research the paper covers a structural and technological overview and a market potential analysis of apps for shopping malls with a visionary conclusion of expected future developments is given especially in the field of AR.