Case study

How a leading UK shopping centre transformed operations with data & AI

5 new

data & AI tools delivered

Multiple

revenue streams created

business areas transformed

The upshot

How AI is transforming retail property management

Datasparq built five specialised data tools for a leading UK shopping centre that turned disconnected information into a powerful business asset for its asset managers, operational and marketing teams, and its PE investors. These solutions have directly improved leasing performance, optimised retail mix and delivered the measurable ROI that PE investors demand.

The value of these tools has been proven through their adoption across the PE portfolio, creating an additional revenue stream. What began as a data strategy is now delivering measurable commercial value across multiple PE investments.

Key benefits:

Higher occupancy rates and more profitable leases
Better tenant relationships through data-backed insights
Optimised retail mix driving increased footfall and sales
Enhanced decision-making with improved performance visibility
Differentiated the centre as data-forward real estate asset

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Use cases for AI in retail property management

AI and data solutions development partner

The opportunity

Enhancing a premium PE-backed retail destination

Following a change in ownership, this premium shopping destination's new PE investors sought to improve performance and maximise their target ROI. They recognised that fragmented data across tenant, car park, marketing, sales and facilities systems was limiting their ability to create value.

The PE investors needed a partner to develop a clear data strategy that would create tangible business value while building capabilities that could scale across their broader retail portfolio.

The opportunities identified:

Unified view across previously siloed systems
Modern, future-proof data architecture
Data-driven leasing processes
Advanced analytics for customer and tenant insights
Scalable solutions for the broader PE portfolio

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The solution

Connecting the dots

Datasparq partnered with the shopping centre to deliver a comprehensive data transformation, starting with strategy development and moving through to implementation and ongoing capability building.

We worked closely with teams across the business—including the leasing operations team, centre management and marketing—while maintaining alignment with PE investors' value creation objectives.

Key solutions:‍

• Retail insights platform: Analytics to predict optimal retail categories for vacant units
• Operational analytics platform: Interactive visualisation with floor plans and performance metrics
• Management dashboards: Real-time KPIs for operational and investor decision-making

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Strategic discovery

Datasparq mapped operational processes across leasing, facilities and marketing to identify where data could create immediate value for PE investors. We prioritised potential use cases based on both value and feasibility, ensuring alignment with the PE firm's investment thesis.

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Building the data foundations

We established a modern cloud data platform on Google Cloud, integrating previously siloed tenant, sales and facilities data. This created the foundation for data-driven decision making while establishing a scalable asset that could support multiple PE value creation initiatives.

Initial solution

A retail insights platform used machine learning to identify optimal retail categories for vacant units, maximising footfall and ROI. This early win demonstrated tangible business value while building stakeholder confidence in the technology investment.

Tool enhancement & adoption

The operational analytics workbench evolved into an interactive application with colour-coded floor plans and performance metrics—enabling more profitable lease negotiations. Management dashboards provided visibility of key metrics, while car park revenue analysis optimised new revenue streams.

1. Proof of concept

First testing with a supermarket depot demonstrated capabilities beyond established industry tools, impressing transport leadership with performance that surpassed existing SaaS solutions.

2. First deployment

Applied to a major retailer's largest and most complex depot, exploring delivery types and time window flexing. This phase delivered substantial annual savings that continue to benefit operations today.

3. Extended capabilities

Extended to a more challenging network with multiple depots, handling unionised workforces, two-person deliveries and a wider variety of vehicle types. This phase demonstrated the optimiser's adaptability to different operational constraints.

4. Enterprise-ready

Standardised data formats and pipelines to create a system applicable across diverse customer networks, with further optimisation for a home improvement retailer adding wait time and compactification features that doubled performance.

Interactive example

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The impact

Clear results across the business and portfolio

The new approach to data has delivered measurable benefits for the shopping centre and its PE investors. The leasing team now secures better deals with confidence, leading to higher occupancy rates and more profitable leases. The operational analytics platform has become so valuable that other shopping centres in the PE portfolio now licence it as a revenue-generating product.

The shopping centre has strengthened its market position through this transformation—evolving into a business where data drives value for shoppers, retailers and investors alike. For PE owners, the approach has demonstrated scalability, with methods and tools now deployed across other retail assets in their portfolio.

Key impacts:

Higher occupancy rates and improved net operating Income for investors
New revenue streams from tool licensing to other centres
Immediate value quantification and tracking from new investments such as enhanced parking services

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