Why static mall directories under-perform
Vinyl wall directories were built for an era when shoppers had no other option. Today's footfall already carries the better device — and uses it to walk somewhere else.
Shoppers can't find stores
The directory at the entrance lists tenants alphabetically with no visual context. Most shoppers skim it, give up, and Google "[brand] near me" instead — taking their visit somewhere else.
Parking is a recurring complaint
"Where did I park?" is the #1 social-media gripe at most malls. Without app-level capture and route-back, shoppers spend 10 frustrated minutes in the garage every visit.
Tenants have no app surface
Anchor stores get the entrance billboard; everyone else is buried in a PDF. No way to surface a new opening, a flash sale, or a pop-up — without a costly print refresh.
What OuterMap delivers for malls
A branded mall app, live in days — store finder, parking, promotions, analytics.
- Store finder & search.Search by brand, category, or "open now". Routes from the shopper's current location with walk time.
- Parking save-and-return.Tap to remember parking spot at arrival; route back to it on the way out — works offline in basements.
- Floor-by-floor navigation.Multi-floor maps with escalator and elevator routing. Filter by accessible paths.
- Tenant promotions surface.Featured listings, banner placements and event tiles per tenant — sell as a new retail-media revenue line.
- Shopper analytics.Most-searched stores, popular routes, dwell-time by zone, parking-utilisation patterns.
- Real-time updates.Add/rename a tenant, schedule a closure for fit-out, announce a holiday event — live on the next app open.
Built for every kind of retail centre
Regional shopping malls
Multi-anchor enclosed malls with 80–300+ tenants. Replace the printed directory with a branded app shoppers install during a visit and reopen for the next one.
Outlet malls & factory outlets
Sprawling open-air sites where shoppers walk further than they expect. Route-by-route navigation cuts confusion and increases tenant exposure across the property.
Mixed-use commercial complexes
Retail combined with offices, hotels, residential or transit. One branded app for every audience — shoppers, tenants, residents, visitors.
Common questions from mall operators
If yours isn't here, ask us directly.
What is a shopping mall navigation app?
A shopping mall navigation app is a branded mobile experience that helps shoppers find specific stores, navigate between floors, locate parked cars, and discover dining and amenities. OuterMap publishes one for any mall from its existing floor plan in under 30 minutes — no hardware, no GIS team.
How do malls update store changes in the app?
From the OuterMap admin dashboard. Add or rename a tenant, change opening hours, or mark a unit for fit-out — the mobile app reflects it on next open. No App Store resubmission, no agency change-request fees.
Does it support parking guidance?
Yes. Parking zones become navigable POIs with photo markers; shoppers can save their parking spot at arrival and route back to it on the way out — even underground where cell signal drops, because the map works offline.
Can we charge tenants for featured placement?
The platform supports featured listings, banner placements and promotion tiles per tenant. Most operators monetise these as a new retail-media revenue line that pays for the platform several times over.
What analytics do we get on shopper navigation?
Aggregate, privacy-respecting metrics: which stores shoppers search for most, popular routes, peak-hour patterns, parking utilisation, and which floors attract dwell time. Useful for tenant negotiations, marketing and operations.
Get a branded mall app this month.
Free to start. Upload your floor plan and we can have a navigation prototype in shoppers' hands by next weekend.
Talk to our team