Improving Retail Operations and ESG Delivery at Scale with Talkie.

Post-Covid Consumer Shifts and the Rising Influence of ESG

When lockdowns ended, consumers returned to shopping centres in large numbers. This demonstrated that physical retail still matters, as people had missed the experience of shopping in person. However, the pandemic also changed the way consumers shop. Shoppers have become more selective, digitally informed, and increasingly focused on experience.

|  "Digital and physical are now complementary... and require different distribution models."

During the pandemic, consumers became comfortable with shopping online, and that behaviour has persisted. It continues to shape their shopping experience. Today, consumers vote with their feet. If the experience does not engage them, they will simply choose another option. 

For Accessite, this shift was also an opportunity to rethink the broader role of retail spaces. Consumers began to align their spending more closely with their values, paying greater attention to environmental and social responsibility.

|  "We didn't need a rule to tell us to treat people well. It's always been human first."

ESG has always been part of Accessite's DNA. Long before it became a reporting obligation or market expectation, the company embedded human-first thinking and environmental responsibility into its approach to property management. However, the post-pandemic environment brought a new sense of urgency. Rising expectations from consumers, tenants, and investors meant that ESG performance had to be measured, shared, and actively demonstrated. This shift prompted Accessite to think of a new way of working that involved not just the management team but the entire retail ecosystem. 

Shopping Centres of the Future, Project Zion, and Digital layers. 

In response to the fundamental changes happening in retail post pandemic, Accessite recognised that shopping centres couldn't continue to operate the way they always had. To stay relevant, they needed to evolve. This lead Accessite to launch Project Zion, a way for the company to reimagine what a shopping mall could be.

At its core, Project Zion was about modernising the retail experience, combining physical spaces with digital tools, improving communication and collaboration, and creating places that feel more community-focused. It also served as the basis for their White Paper, "The Shopping Centre in 2030." The paper identified concrete ways for shopping centres to evolve and meeting changing consumer expectations and ESG goals. 

One of the major takeaways from Project Zion and the White Paper was the need for a stronger digital layer that worked internally to support tenants and centre staff. This lead to the partnership between Chainels and Accessite where they developed 'Talkie.' 

The Implementation of Talkie 

|  "The idea is to create a community within the shopping centres." 

Talkie is Accessite's digital app that centralises communication between centre management, staff, and tenants. 

Centre Management can use Talkie to: 

• Share updates and announcements with tenants.
• Track and manage incidents reported by tenants. 
• Collect sales data from stores efficiently, replacing manual follow-ups or email-based reporting. 
• Distribute and manage forms for administrative tasks. 
• Monitor engagement and usage across centres, identify trends and areas that need more support.
• Generate data insights to inform decisions and demonstrate value to investors and stakeholders.

Tenants can use Talkie to: 

• Receive real-time updates from centre management. 
• Report incidents or technical issues directly from their phone. 
• Submit monthly turnover/sales data quickly and easily. 
• Access important documents and procedures in one place.
• Participate in centre-wide initiatives or campaigns. 
• Stay connected with other tenants. 

| "Talkie helps everyone play their part - not just individual stores, but as members of a shared performance." 

With the platform implemented across 15 centres, Accessite began to see meaningful changes in daily operations, tenant engagement, and long-term strategy. 

Result #1: Consistent, Structured, and Scalable Communication Across Assets

Prior to using Talkie, Accessite’s communication with tenants was informal and inconsistent. Most updates were shared via phone calls, scattered emails, or in-person conversations, which varied greatly depending on the manager or the site. Alexandre Séjourné described this approach as functional but inefficient, particularly when tenants needed information quickly or when centre staff were unavailable. With Talkie, Accessite introduced a centralised digital communication tool that functions like an internal social network. This allows centre managers to share updates, documents, and key operational information instantly and at scale. The result is a structured, reliable system that not only saves time but ensures consistency across all retail assets, reinforcing professionalism and clarity in tenant relations. Above all, it enables national management and monitoring. 

| "Until now, we were communicating with tenants through phone calls or in-person interactions with the technical manager or centre director... it wasn’t always effective."

Result #2: Improved Tenant Engagement Leading to a Stronger Sense of Community

Accessite implemented Talkie as a way to foster a stronger connection between centre teams and tenants. Séjourné explained that one of their goals was to go beyond practical communication and create a genuine sense of community within each centre. Traditionally, tenant engagement depended on a few vocal or enthusiastic retailers, while others remained on the sidelines. With Talkie, participation has become broader and more inclusive. The app gives every tenant a voice and an easy way to stay connected to the centre's activities. Séjourné observed that when usage increases, the platform begins to “self-sustain,” meaning it becomes more valuable the more people engage with it. This dynamic has contributed to stronger internal culture, better collaboration, and improved relationships between management and tenants.

| "The more Talkie is active, the more it starts to self-sustain."

Result #3: Routine Processes are Optimised, Saving Time for Both Tenants and Centre Teams

One of the most tangible impacts of Talkie has been the simplification of routine operational tasks. Before the app, tenants had to navigate various forms, emails, and manual workflows to submit turnover data, report incidents, or request permissions for store works or closures. This process was time-consuming, fragmented, and prone to delays. Séjourné explained that with Talkie, everything from sales declarations to inventory forms is fully digitised and accessible via mobile. Tenants no longer need to chase contacts or print documents, they simply submit what they need directly through the app. For centre teams, this has eliminated unnecessary admin and reduced friction in day-to-day operations, freeing up time to focus on more strategic responsibilities. 

| "Tenants can now declare their monthly turnover directly through the app... it simplifies things."

Result #4: Portfolio-wide Insights and Performance Benchmarking Now Possible

With Talkie deployed across 14 centres, Accessite has gained a valuable new layer of visibility into its portfolio operations. Previously, there was no easy way to compare engagement, tenant responsiveness, or operational performance across different assets. Now, the platform generates usage and activity data that allows teams to benchmark performance, monitor centre dynamics, and identify where additional support or focus is needed. Séjourné highlighted that this level of insight has become increasingly important, not only for internal management but also for external reporting. Asset managers and investors expect data to support decisions, and Talkie now provides Accessite with a credible, measurable way to demonstrate tenant engagement and operational consistency across its portfolio. 

| "It’s also a strong argument for our investor clients today, we have the data they’re looking for."

Result #5: Talkie Supports ESG Goals in Practical, Measurable Ways

Talkie also aligns closely with Accessite’s ESG commitments, particularly in the areas of sustainability and social engagement. Séjourné noted that every small action has an impact. For example, digitising inventory forms and renovation requests has significantly reduced the use of paper across the portfolio. With over 100 stores using the platform, the environmental benefits scale quickly. In addition to supporting environmental goals, Talkie contributes to the social side of ESG by strengthening connections between tenants and centre teams. It creates a more inclusive, transparent environment where communication is easier and relationships are stronger. Séjourné emphasised that this human-first approach adds value not just internally, but in the eyes of customers who increasingly expect purpose-driven spaces.

| "Every small action counts. Even reducing emails has an environmental impact. It all adds up."

Smart Connect is currently being piloted across selected assets and is already showing strong potential. It reflects Accessite’s broader strategy of continuous innovation and demonstrates Talkie’s adaptability as a platform that can scale and evolve with the complexity of modern retail property management.

Key Takeaways

Accessite’s rollout of Talkie across 15 shopping centres resulted in measurable operational improvements. Centre teams now manage communication through a single platform, which has replaced phone calls, scattered emails, and manual updates. More than 80 percent of tenants have joined the platform, and over 60 percent of those use it actively. This consistent engagement has helped build stronger relationships and improved responsiveness across the portfolio.

Processes like sales reporting, incident tracking, and renovation approvals, which previously relied on manual paperwork, are now handled digitally. This has reduced admin workload, improved data accuracy, and allowed teams to respond faster to tenant needs. It has also enabled Accessite to generate insights at the portfolio level, comparing engagement and activity across sites and using this data in conversations with investors.

By integrating Talkie into everyday operations, Accessite has also advanced its ESG commitments. The reduction in paper use and the creation of more transparent, inclusive communication systems are direct outcomes of this shift. Talkie has become a practical, low-friction way to support long-term asset value, tenant satisfaction, and operational resilience at scale.

As Alexandre Séjourné said, Accessite is like the stage manager and the retailers are the actors. The goal is to deliver a great experience so that customers keep coming back. With Talkie in place, the team behind the scenes is better equipped to keep the show running smoothly.