Shopping Centers Are Turning to Smart Parking Systems To Boost Revenue
For decades, parking was considered an amenity that drivers expected to be free. But as cities urbanize and real estate owners look to optimize revenue, shopping center owners are taking a fresh look at an often-overlooked part of their portfolio: the parking garage.
“Most retail landlords are working with data all day, but have no insight into what’s going on in the parking garage,” said Jonathon Barkl, CEO of AirGarage. “We handle everything it takes to run a parking garage: payments, dynamic pricing, enforcement and local operations. But we also bring technology like license plate-reading cameras to upgrade the parking operation, improving the tenant and customer experience.”
From Gate Arms to Gateless Control
Many retail owners spend upward of $50,000 for hardware like gate arms, pay-on-foot stations, and ticket machines. In addition, the gate arms frequently break, causing backups and compounding maintenance costs.
AirGarage boosts income by replacing traditional gate systems with in-lane license plate-recognition cameras and a cloud-based platform that handles everything from enforcement to pricing. Today, AirGarage manages more than 300 facilities across the country, from malls like The Gateway in Salt Lake City to office campuses for Fortune 500 companies and garages at mixed-use developments. All technology is built in-house, so the system seamlessly works together — from the AI-powered dynamic pricing to the license plate-reading cameras.
The AirGarage owner dashboard gives garage and lot owners real-time revenue tracking, occupancy monitoring, guest validation, promo code setup and direct deposit — all at their fingertips. Image above and at top courtesy of AirGarage
Integrated Tech Meets On-Site Support
AirGarage handles on-site enforcement, cleaning and maintenance, but the key value comes from its integrated ecosystem of technology and operations. Dynamic pricing adjusts rates based on demand, while integrations with platforms like SpotHero — a leading parking locator and reservation tool — help attract more drivers during off-peak hours.
“Our system automatically ramps up online marketing when lots are underutilized and pulls back when there’s plenty of drive-up demand,” said company CTO Scott Fitsimones. “This is just one of many ways we are optimizing revenue per space.”
Frictionless Parking for Shoppers and Tenants
Importantly, AirGarage’s system is designed with retail environments in mind. There’s no app to download or gate to navigate. Shoppers drive in, park and scan a QR code to pay. On subsequent visits, the license plate-reading camera systems automatically check drivers in and out.
“Reducing friction is critical,” Fitsimones said. “If it’s hard to park, customers go elsewhere. We wrote our app using state-of-the-art technology that loads even with one bar of signal in an underground garage.”
This also means seamless access control, discounts and validation for tenants, their employees and their visitors. Retail tenants can easily assign parking access, track usage and rent rolls and empower their tenants to update their account information — all from one streamlined system.
In today’s environment, every part of a retail property needs to contribute to the bottom line. With AirGarage, shopping center owners are turning parking from a cost center into a strategic asset — improving NOI while keeping tenants and shoppers happy.
To see how it works, visit airgarage.com.