Grand Arcade, Wigan: tenant communications and security infrastructure
The Grand Arcade Shopping Centre in Wigan was opened in March 2007. It is described as “mid-range”, comprising 420,000ft2 , it has 50 retail tenants and attracts over 150,000 shoppers each week. This case study shows how innovative technology can be installed and be ‘right first time’ largely due to an excellent relationship between the centre management and the technology developer, ACCL.
Grand Arcade, Wigan: tenant communications and security infrastructure
A direct, two-way TAS communications link between centre management and 50 retail tenants, running since Grand Arcade opened in 2007.
TAS gave Grand Arcade Shopping Centre in Wigan a direct, two-way communications link between centre management and its 50 retail tenants from the day it opened in 2007. General Manager John Sanson was involved in the project from the outset, and years later credits the system’s speed and reliability, especially during security incidents, as central to how smoothly the centre runs.
The result
Years after installation, TAS remains central to how Grand Arcade operates day to day. The system has delivered:
- Direct two-way communication between centre management and 50 retail tenants
- Rapid security alerts, escalating to police and the town CCTV system when needed
- Technical faults resolved remotely, often within an hour
- A cable map built into the shop-fitting manual for a seamless installation
- All TAS calls free, running over the centre’s existing IP platform
- An automatically generated audit trail of centre communications
Services delivered
Overview
Grand Arcade Shopping Centre opened in Wigan town centre in 2007. From the outset, centre management recognised that reliable, direct communication with tenants would be critical to running the centre safely and efficiently.
General Manager John Sanson was involved in the project from the very beginning. The management company looked at conventional options, phone, intercom and PC-based systems, before settling on ACCL’s Tenant Active System (TAS), a purpose-built retail communications platform running over IP.
The challenge
Grand Arcade needed a system that gave centre management and tenants a direct line to each other, not just for emergencies but for the day-to-day realities of running a busy shopping centre. Conventional phone, intercom and PC-based options were all considered and found wanting. John Sanson, General Manager, explains what mattered most:
“Tenant liaison is a major issue for us and for our tenants, to have the ability to communicate swiftly and accurately is a massive thing for all of us. Like all shopping centres, one of the biggest problems we have to deal with is shoplifting. There are organised gangs, as well as individuals, and they operate throughout the centre. Whenever there is a shoplifting incident, the TAS system comes very much to the fore, as the security team and the police can be informed about the incident in very quick time. This is an important aspect of the TAS system, it not only communicates within the centre, but can alert the police and the town CCTV system via the security controller.”John Sanson, General Manager, Grand Arcade Shopping Centre
Planning the installation before a single retailer moved in
The centre took over two years to build before opening in 2007, and ACCL played an active role in the planning process throughout. A detailed cable map was drawn up showing exactly where TAS cabling would run, and John Sanson made sure that information was built into the shop-fitting manual issued to every retailer’s fit-out contractor.
That meant ACCL’s own work at each unit came down to a single task: terminating the TAS cabling that was already in place. It kept disruption to a minimum and made for what John Sanson called a smooth installation from start to finish.
Coordinating communications across a multi-tenant site?
ACCL built the two-way communications system that has connected Grand Arcade’s management team to 50 retail tenants since the centre opened. Talk to us about a similar retail or multi-tenant environment.
Fast fixes and free calls
In the years TAS has been running at Grand Arcade, technical issues have been rare. When something does need attention, ACCL can usually dial directly into the system, diagnose the fault and have the centre back to full operation within the hour.
Because TAS runs over the centre’s existing IP platform, every call between management and tenants is free. John Sanson credits that, combined with faster, more joined-up communication between management and retailers, with covering the cost of the system many times over.
Technologies used
ACCL’s role
This project needed more than installing cabling. ACCL’s scope has covered:
- Developing and deploying the Tenant Active System (TAS)
- Drawing up a detailed cable map before construction began
- Integrating cable positions into the shop-fitting manual for every retailer
- Terminating TAS cabling at each of 50 retail units
- Supporting two-way voice and text communication for security and retailers
- Enabling escalation to police and town CCTV during incidents
- Providing remote fault diagnosis and rapid-response fixes
- Maintaining an ongoing support relationship since the centre opened in 2007
Why the project matters
Grand Arcade shows how early planning turns a complex multi-tenant installation into a smooth one. Building the TAS cable map into the shop-fitting manual before a single retailer moved in meant ACCL’s on-site work came down to a single task per unit, minimising disruption to a two-year construction programme.
It also shows what TAS delivers once a centre is trading: fast security response that can reach beyond the centre’s own walls to the police and town CCTV, free calls between management and every tenant, and remote fault-fixing that keeps the system running with minimal downtime.
Related guidance
Foreword by Wayne
“Grand Arcade is a nice example of what happens when a client treats planning as seriously as we do. John Sanson built our cable map straight into the shop-fitting manual before the centre had even opened, so every one of the fifty retailers who fitted out their unit already had TAS cabling in place before we arrived. All we had to do was terminate it. That is a genuinely smooth installation, and it does not happen by accident. What I like about this one is how TAS has been used since. It is not just an emergency system sitting unused most of the time: it handles shoplifting alerts that can reach the police and the town’s own CCTV system, it carries routine tenant communication for free over IP, and when something does go wrong we can usually be back up within the hour by dialling straight in. Years on, John still says he could not fault it. That is the kind of long-term relationship we want with every client.”Wayne Connors, Managing Director, ACCL
“Well, I suppose we could, but we would function badly. The speed of reaction, the speed of communication, and the service we receive from the experienced ACCL staff, all make TAS an essential part of the smooth running of the centre. TAS gives us over and above what we expect from it, I cannot fault it in any way.”John Sanson, General Manager, Grand Arcade Shopping Centre
Frequently asked questions
What did ACCL deliver for Grand Arcade Shopping Centre?
ACCL developed and installed the Tenant Active System (TAS), giving centre management and retail tenants a direct two-way communications link running over the centre’s IP telephony platform.
What is the Tenant Active System (TAS)?
TAS is a retail communications platform developed by ACCL, providing two-way voice and text communication between centre management and tenants, with an automatic audit trail of messages.
How many tenants use TAS at Grand Arcade?
All 50 retail tenants at Grand Arcade Shopping Centre use the TAS system.
How did ACCL avoid disrupting shopfitters during installation?
ACCL produced a detailed cable map before construction began, and this was built into the shop-fitting manual issued to every retailer’s contractor, so ACCL’s own work at each unit was limited to terminating cabling already in place.
How does TAS support security at Grand Arcade?
TAS allows staff to alert the security team and police quickly during incidents such as shoplifting, and can escalate alerts to the town’s CCTV system via the security controller.
Can TAS alert people outside the centre during an incident?
Yes. As well as communicating within the centre, TAS can alert the police and the town CCTV system via the security controller.
How quickly are technical faults resolved?
ACCL can typically dial directly into the system, diagnose a fault and restore full operation within an hour.
Does TAS cost anything to use?
No. Because TAS runs over the centre’s existing IP platform, all calls between management and tenants are free.
When did Grand Arcade open, and when was TAS installed?
Grand Arcade opened in 2007 after a build programme of over two years, with TAS installed and operational from the centre’s opening.
Has TAS caused many technical problems since installation?
No. General Manager John Sanson reports very few technical issues since installation, with most problems being administrative rather than technical.
Would Grand Arcade be able to operate without TAS?
According to General Manager John Sanson, the centre could technically function without TAS but would run far less smoothly, given how central the system is to security response and tenant communication.
Managing communications across a multi-tenant site?
Talk to the team that has kept Grand Arcade’s 50 retail tenants connected to centre management since the centre opened.
Book a free site survey 0333 900 0101