Australian-based Westfield Corporation will first team with Uber at the Los Angeles Century City centre for the “Uber Lounge”. Westfield’s other 33 US sites will get what Uber describes as “stations.”

The Uber Lounge at Century City is part of the centre’s billion-dollar renovation and is a marketing tool aimed at maximising the time shoppers spend on the premises.

The lounge will be “ultra-modern” in design, with luxurious seating and various amenities on offer to customers as they wait for their Uber to arrive.

It also acts as a storage facility until the shopper has finished all the purchases, finally collecting the goods and connecting with the Uber service.

Customers have access to complimentary beverages, charging stations, newspapers, and magazines. Concierge services, like restaurant bookings and event tickets, are also available.

By comparison, the “stations” will be less lavish in their comfort and range of services. These will be based on a kiosk theme and have customer service representatives.

Brandspace, the marketing division of Westfield parent company Scentre Group, was contacted by GoAutoNews Premium to gauge the interest of the Uber alliance in Australia.

The division, which has a mandate to work with brands, marketers and their agencies to “find powerful ways to connect and engage shopper audiences and harness the power of the retail environment,” did not know about the program in the US and did not add any further information.

By Neil Dowling