Increased customer comfort: Digital wayfinding in the border area
-40%
Marketing
+50%
Requests
100%
Achieved price
The Challenge
The Nordsee Center management faced a complex structural and logistical challenge in positioning and renting retail spaces in a sprawling shopping center in Flensburg. Due to its strategically prominent location in the German-Danish border area, the center attracts tens of thousands of international visitors every week. However, the convoluted architecture across multiple levels and the confusing arrangement of new retail zones led to noticeable problems: visitor flows were primarily concentrated at the main entrances, while more remote sales areas recorded significantly lower foot traffic. For potential tenants and well-known chain stores, the exact visibility and accessibility of a retail space is the most important criterion for decision-making. Conventional, static 2D escape plans and printed center flyers were completely unable to convey the real dynamics, modern storefronts, and overall spatial structure during the initial digital contact. Without a contemporary, multilingual navigation solution, there was a threat of declining customer satisfaction, a massive drop in rental inquiries for B-locations, and long-term vacancy, which would have sustainably endangered the economic success of the entire location.
Our Solution
FotoEstate designed an innovative and comprehensive digitalization solution by implementing an interactive 3D Matterport indoor navigation system. Our highly specialized team captured the entire shopping center in Flensburg comprehensively using state-of-the-art laser scanners and 360-degree HDR camera systems. In the process, a precise, centimeter-accurate digital twin of all retail and promenade areas was created. The technological centerpiece of this solution was the linking of the 3D model with an intelligent, web-based indoor navigation system. We integrated multilingual hotspots (Mattertag tags) directly at the store windows, at parking transitions, and at still vacant rental spaces. Visitors and potential tenants can now navigate seamlessly and smoothly through the center via smartphone or desktop PC, calculate barrier-free routes, and access real-time information about the stores. This transparent visual presentation created a revolutionary and user-friendly orientation basis for both customers and B2B rental prospects alike.
The Result
The use of digital Matterport indoor navigation from FotoEstate brought a striking and measurable success in the market for the Nordsee Center management. Through immersive wayfinding and increased transparency, visitor flows could be specifically directed to the previously less frequented areas of the center, leading to a harmonization of customer frequency throughout the entire property. Qualified inquiries for available retail spaces increased sharply by over 50%. The average marketing duration and negotiation time for new rentals were reduced by an impressive 40%, as international retail chains were able to digitally evaluate the exact location and neighborhood of their future stores in advance perfectly. The shopping center in Flensburg stabilized its rental income 100% at the targeted premium level. This excellent return on investment impressively demonstrated that the three-dimensional indoor navigation from FotoEstate is the most efficient tool for increasing foot traffic and maximizing the value of modern retail properties.
Project Deep Dive: Process & Details
The initial situation: A demanding marketing
The shopping center in Flensburg, managed by Nordsee Center Management, represents a state-of-the-art and vibrant retail platform in northern Germany. Despite the excellent economic conditions in the border region, the marketing and leasing of retail spaces away from the main walkways through traditional channels proved to be increasingly sluggish. Conventional wide-angle photographs and impersonal exposés were simply unable to adequately depict the synergies between the stores, the modern architecture, and the actual shopping experience. In the fiercely competitive retail segment, visual perfection and a transparent spatial structure decide within seconds the interest of expansion managers. Since standard methods offered no spatial continuity, the project fell short of its potential. A forward-looking technological transformation was required.
The hurdle: Overcoming uncertainty in prospects
The primary hurdle in the entire leasing process lay in the pronounced skepticism of international brands regarding the actual visitor flows in the center's secondary corridors. Without a way to digitally verify the exact accessibility and visibility of a vacant space, many retailers shied away from the financial risk of a new lease (a fundamental trust issue that is often only resolved in planned projects through photorealistic renderings for commercial parks or in existing properties through 3D navigation). This visual uncertainty massively blocked the sales flow. The center management had to present statistical data and theoretical plans in lengthy negotiations, which, however, lacked emotional persuasiveness. At the same time, Danish and German customers demanded a simple digital orientation tool for their shopping. Therefore, it was necessary to immediately break down these hurdles in the first digital contact and create an undeniable foundation of digital transparency and intuitive comfort.
The Concept: Visual Excellence and Attention to Detail
The expert team at FotoEstate designed a comprehensive digitization strategy under the guiding principle 'Shopping without Borders.' The overarching goal was to completely mirror the physical reality of the center in the digital space and enrich it with intelligent navigation features. Our concept included a seamless capture of all public areas, corridors, escalators, and service facilities. We planned the visual staging so that the modern lighting architecture of the building comes into perfect effect and creates an inviting atmosphere. Each scan point was strategically placed to ensure seamless transitions between the floors and to provide potential tenants with a realistic, distortion-free dollhouse view of the entire retail property in Flensburg.
The Implementation: Technology Meets Craft
The technical implementation on site in Flensburg was carried out by our certified 3D artists and laser scanning specialists with the highest craftsmanship precision. High-resolution Matterport Pro systems were used, which capture millions of measurement points per second while simultaneously generating brilliant HDR panoramas. Room by room and level by level were precisely measured to completely eliminate deviations in the digital model. In the demanding post-production, we linked the visual data with user-friendly navigation software. Our developers implemented bilingual information tags (German and Danish) for the stores and integrated interfaces for direct links to rental forms, resulting in an absolutely error-free and cross-platform user experience of international top quality.
The result: A flawless marketing success
The introduction of FotoEstate's interactive 3D Matterport indoor navigation marked the triumphant turning point in asset management at the Flensburg shopping center. The visual and functional enhancement of the digital presence thrilled both customers and retailers at home and abroad. The dwell time on the center's platform multiplied within a very short time. Vacant retail spaces were leased to well-known chains in record time thanks to the transparency created, without the need to grant expensive rent discounts. The North Sea Center management successfully established itself as a digital pioneer in the region. The executive board praised FotoEstate as a visionary premium partner whose technological brilliance has elevated modern center marketing to an entirely new level of success.
What our partners say
"Fast, punctual, and very high image quality. Exactly what we need for our rental exposés."
"The Fotoestate team is flexible and always delivers the highest quality, even on short notice."
"The before-and-after pictures of our renovation properties have become a fantastic marketing tool thanks to Fotoestate."
"Very considerate team. We were still living in the property, and the shoot went extremely relaxed."
"Drone flights, interior shots, and virtual tours from a single source – that saves us an enormous amount of time."
"The retouching of distracting elements in the outdoor area was perfect. Very natural result."
"Fast, punctual, and very high image quality. Exactly what we need for our rental exposés."
"The Fotoestate team is flexible and always delivers the highest quality, even on short notice."
"The before-and-after pictures of our renovation properties have become a fantastic marketing tool thanks to Fotoestate."
"Very considerate team. We were still living in the property, and the shoot went extremely relaxed."
"Drone flights, interior shots, and virtual tours from a single source – that saves us an enormous amount of time."
"The retouching of distracting elements in the outdoor area was perfect. Very natural result."
Ready for the next marketing success?
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