## The time is now: making a change to benefit the future

We at Cleverciti know this, but the everyday citizen may not: Parking has an _enormous_ impact on traffic congestion and the resulting [emissions](/content/en/why-cleverciti/reduce-unnecessary-emissions/index.html) lead to negative environmental impact. Take this statistic for instance: In many cities, more than 30% of traffic is the result of people searching for a parking spot. Can you imagine how much that affects the environment?

So, what can be done? Quite simply, [smart parking](/content/en/why-cleverciti/what-is-smart-parking/index.html) is the answer. Earlier this month, the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel wrote a powerful article about the [negative impacts of inefficient parking search](https://m.tagesspiegel.de/wirtschaft/umweltschaedliche-parkplatzsuche-mit-smart-parking-koennten-bis-zu-900-000-tonnen-co2-eingespart-werden/25441374.html) and found smart parking can make a significant contribution to reducing climate change — saving up to **900,000 tons of CO2**.

“This is about half as much CO2 savings as is produced for all flights within Germany,” said FDP member of the Bundestag, Daniela Kluckert, who is in the Tagesspiegel Background. Furthermore, she stated the Federal Government must now stand up for “making smart parking a reality.“

The government in Germany is currently looking for a solution to solve the parking problem, which is an important step forward. Studies find that “Germans currently spend around 41 hours a year looking for a parking space” while the time wasted searching, the fuel required for it and the additional pollution cost Germans more than 40 billion euros per year.

The government is prioritizing the issue but that can take time. In the meantime, we can all work together to solve this problem because what we do every day directly addresses climate change. At Cleverciti, we get excited each time we deploy a [parking space management and guidance system](/content/en/solutions/parking-guidance/index.html) because we know we are reducing miles driven, pollution emitted and energy consumed. (And here is a cool fact for you: For every [sensor](/content/en/innovations/cleverciti-sensor/index.html) we deploy, the environmental benefit is akin to planting more than 50 trees!)

What can you do today to reduce your impact? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re ready to make an organizational commitment, contact [us](/content/en/contact/index.html) to learn more about our [solutions](/content/en/solutions/index.html).

## Can smart parking technology help save brick-and-mortar retailers?

Here we are: the biggest yearly spending event in [retail](/content/en/verticals/shopping/index.html) is here off, with holiday shopping efforts in full force. But while consumers battle with their checkbooks, retailers are batting for consumers. You’ve likely noticed that the news is scattered with stories about big box stores closing while online retail giants, such as Amazon, continue to grow. In fact, [consumers spent](https://marketingland.com/holiday-shoppers-spent-record-breaking-126-billion-online-in-2018-255358) a whopping $126 billion online in the 2018 holiday shopping season.

An [NPR poll](https://www.npr.org/about-npr/617470695/npr-marist-poll-amazon-is-a-colossus-in-a-nation-of-shoppers) brings insight to the online versus brick-and-mortar war that has ensued, featuring the top motivating factor to shopping online: speed (quickly followed by convenience). When you think about physically going to a store to shop, these factors are often diminished by one major element: parking. But what if retailers could leverage technology to both decrease the time shoppers spend searching for a space and provide a [better customer experience](/content/en/why-cleverciti/transform-the-arrival-experience/index.html)? Could this help push customers to return to in-store shopping?

### Speed

[Research shows](/content/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ShoppingMallFlyer_ENG_A4_online.pdf) that finding a parking spot at a shopping center can take up to 12 minutes. Cleverciti’s smart parking technology can change that. Through a combination of real-time detection of available parking spaces and digital signage guiding drivers to open spots, the time required to park can be reduced by 30% or more. In a shopping mall with 1,000 parking spaces, this improvement can result in annual [revenue gains](/content/en/why-cleverciti/maximize-return-on-parking-assets/index.html) of more than $4 million.

### A positive impression

As the first and last memory of a shopping experience, streamlined parking is key to creating a satisfied customer. Take it from us: In July, Cleverciti finished installing its [smart parking technology](/content/site-root.html) at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield’s Ruhr Park, Germany’s largest open-air shopping center with more than 2,600 parking spots. Known for their devotion to innovation and service, Ruhr Park’s executive team wanted to deliver extraordinary service, convenience, and a [hassle-free parking experience](/content/en/why-cleverciti/transform-the-arrival-experience/index.html) for its clients.

### Creating rewards

In addition to streamlining parking, Cleverciti’s newest technology, the [Cleverciti Card](/content/en/innovations/cleverciti-card/index.html), can be used to reserve parking spots in specified areas. Imagine VIP customers being able to reserve a space in advance, which not only maximizes their time spent shopping, but also provides additional data to the retailer regarding the most loyal and top-spending customers, allowing salespeople to know in advance of the arrival of their best customers. For years, brands have created loyalty programs with rewards, bonuses and discounts, and now parking can become part of these efforts.

### Utilizing data

Cleverciti’s solution is more than just sensors. Using edge-computing, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), the technology creates a unified and intelligent platform that provides customer and behavior data to retailers — something retailers are always craving. From the location of each parked car, to parking violations, to how long each shopper spends in the store, this information can help retailers learn about customer behavior, measure effects of marketing campaigns and plan more effective traffic patterns.

### Reduced footprint

Consumers are starting to use purchasing power to get their messages and opinions across to businesses and brands, and we’re seeing this prominently when it comes to [reducing emissions](/content/en/why-cleverciti/reduce-unnecessary-emissions/index.html) and global warming. A [report by Nielsen](https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/73-percent-of-millennials-are-willing-to-spend-more-money-on-this-1-type-of-product.html) found that 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, so it is likely that they will also pick a shopping center that has actively chosen to reduce its carbon footprint.

Smart parking technology directly relates to this effort: when shoppers spend less time searching for an open space, they’re releasing fewer emissions into the air and therefore cutting down on pollution. Cleverciti’s mission to creating a sustainable environment can be key to showing consumers that retailers care about more than just the bottomline.

Brick-and-mortar retailers are at a tipping point when it comes to winning back the hearts of consumers, but this effort is all about providing a better experience for the consumer than their digital counterparts. Cleverciti’s smart parking technology can create a more efficient, rewarding and sustainable experience for shoppers while also providing mission-critical information to retailers to continually improve the guest experience.