Servy, the enterprise self-service platform for hospitality, and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), which manages a portfolio of flagship consumer destinations across Europe and the U.S. including shopping centers, airports and transportation hubs, announced a strategic alliance that will capitalize on the accelerating digital retail transformation and greater consumer expectations for safe, seamless and elevated customer experiences.
The partnership will focus on the expansion of Servy’s Grab Airport Marketplace; which, since first launching in 2015 as a mobile ordering app, quickly grew to become the leading omnichannel airport e-commerce platform present in more than 80 global airports. The unique platform revolutionizes the hospitality experience in airports by digitalizing the connection between customer and concessionaire at multiple touchpoints – from mobile to kiosk to web.
In 2020, URW partnered with Servy to develop, operate, and scale contactless digital order and fulfillment experiences at select airports within their portfolio. The result enables customers to seamlessly transact with airport restaurants and retailers from their mobile device without downloading an app. LAX Order Now, a partnership with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) which uses the platform, has become one of the most commercially successful programs in Servy’s global portfolio.
As a part of the partnership, which includes a minority investment by URW, Servy will focus on the expansion of best practices learned in the LAX, MIA and ORD rollouts across a global network of airport partners, while also leveraging URW’s global footprint, expertise and relationships with leading brands and retail innovators to benefit all stakeholders across the Grab Airport network. The companies will also explore the application of the technology and digital hospitality experience at URW’s network of flagship shopping and lifestyle destinations, which collectively welcome over 1 billion visits per year.
URW joins other Servy strategic partner investors, including a global leader in traveler experiences and loyalty, Collinson, in collaborating together to build a more integrated, traveler-centric digital experience across the journey.
Mark Bergsrud, founder and chief executive officer of Servy said: “We’re excited to build on our highly successful partnership with Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield to create enhanced value and benefits for all of our airport, airline, and commercial partners. Together, as an industry, we can continue to build the leading digital platform for airports and benefit from a global network. Our strategic alliance will help accelerate the growth of the Grab Airport Marketplace, adding scale and multiple distribution opportunities across the network for all participants.”
Mike Salzman, executive vice president and group director Airports, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield said: “Servy is a young, high-growth, entrepreneurial organization that is on the forefront of the digital customer experience. Our partnership builds on Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s commitment to connect the physical and digital customer journey in order to drive customer satisfaction and sales, as well as better anticipate and understand client and consumer trends. We are excited about expanding our collaboration to deliver more agile and scalable solutions that deliver unparalleled customer experience and enhances our offer to our airport, airline and commercial partners.”
