Article’s

Parking is an important part of the overall shopping experience, yet it is often treated as a secondary facility in mall planning and management. With the increasing use of private vehicles, customers frequently face problems such as limited parking availability, long waiting times, congestion, unclear parking systems, high parking charges, and difficulty in locating vacant spaces, particularly during weekends and peak hours. These issues can create frustration before customers even enter the mall and may influence their overall satisfaction and willingness to return. This study explores the relationship between mall parking facilities, customer satisfaction, and customer patronage, with a focus on understanding how parking experiences influence visitors’ perceptions and behaviour. The study adopts a design-oriented approach to understand parking as part of the overall customer journey rather than only as a functional infrastructure problem. Primary data will be collected through a structured questionnaire from mall visitors who use parking facilities. The study will examine key factors including parking availability, ease of finding a space, waiting time, parking charges, accessibility, safety, cleanliness, signage, and overall convenience. Customer feedback and existing research on parking management and customer satisfaction will be analysed to identify recurring pain points and opportunities for improvement. A user-centred perspective will be used to understand the needs, expectations, and difficulties experienced by customers throughout the parking process. The study is expected to highlight how the quality of parking facilities can influence customers’ overall experience and their intention to revisit a mall. A convenient, safe, and well-managed parking system can reduce stress and contribute positively to customer satisfaction, while inadequate parking and inefficient management may discourage repeat visits and affect patronage. From a practical perspective, the findings can help mall managers and designers identify specific parking-related issues and develop more user-centered solutions. Improvements such as clearer wayfinding and signage, better space allocation, efficient parking management systems, improved accessibility, and greater transparency in parking charges can make the parking experience more convenient. The study therefore aims to demonstrate that parking should be considered an integral part of mall experience design and not merely as a supporting facility.