Peter Park: Digital Parking Management in the “das Einstein” Shopping Center

In 2021, the parking management system in the "das Einstein" shopping center was equipped with the system solution from Peter Park and all parking processes were digitalized. Since then, all parking processes have been recorded using modern license plate recognition. Based on this, the system automatically calculates the parking times.

"das Einstein" is a shopping center in Munich, which covers an area of about 36,000 m². An underground parking lot with 292 spaces and a multi-storey parking lot with 145 spaces are available for visitors. Both parking facilities are managed on the basis of the digital parking system from Peter Park.

Find out here how the project has developed since installation and what benefits have resulted for customers and operators.

Challenges in the Parking Management of the Shopping Center

Before the installation of the Peter Park system, the parking areas of the shopping center "das Einstein" were controlled by using conventional barriers. This led to frequent traffic jams and long waiting times, especially at peak times, but also to high maintenance costs due to the high-maintenance barrier system. In addition, the operators of the area faced numerous other challenges in the efficient management of the area.

Mixed Use of the Parking Area

"das Einstein" is home to a large number of different businesses: A Media Markt, an AllDent dental center, a Schön Klinik, a Netto supermarket, several food outlets, and a Fitness First sports center are just some of the businesses that attract thousands of visitors to the shopping center every day - many of them by car. Due to the versatile use of the parking area by different customer groups, the coordination of all customer needs is a major challenge. The parking areas in "das Einstein" are used by shopping center employees, fitness studio guests, and supermarket customers. With a conventional parking system, it was not possible to adapt parking permits and prices to different customer segments.

Waiting Times at Automatic Pay Stations

Particularly at peak times after work and on weekends, long lines in front of the pay stations pose a challenge. Visitors, sometimes packed with shopping, want to make their way home and have to stand in line for several minutes to pay for their parking ticket - this quickly leads to resentment - and this is also the case at "das Einstein".

High Maintenance Barrier Systems

From a parking operator's perspective, high-maintenance and failure-prone barrier systems are one of the biggest challenges. This causes backups at the barriers, directly affecting visitor flow and customer satisfaction. Occasional barrier failures not only led to chaos and long queues at the barriers, but also to costly repairs, time-consuming control of parking operations, and dissatisfied customers.

The Solution for Efficient Parking Management

Digital Parking Management

Digitizing parking management with the help of Peter Park, increases the efficiency of parking areas. Automatic license plate recognition enables a smooth parking process that eliminates the need for barriers. Waiting times are reduced and operators can increase their turnover.

Without Barriers, Transparent Control

The introduction of camera scanners has made it possible to replace barriers. This means that cost-intensive, regular maintenance of the barriers will no longer be necessary in the future. In addition, the area no longer has to be patrolled manually, which reduces personnel expenditure and costs.

Overall, the conversion of the barrier system to a digital license plate system resulted in significant cost savings and increased efficiency through process automation. Preventing system failures also ensures a smooth and seamless parking process without disruption to visitors.

A special feature in "das Einstein" is the "Automatic CameraPark" feature, which allows the Peter Park platform and EasyPark to communicate. This allows the start and end of each parking process to be fully automated. The customer no longer needs to go to a parking ticket machine. The digital recording of parking processes enables central availability and data insight for the analysis of peak times, parking duration, and additional parameters. With the help of this data, approaches can be developed to adjust customer conditions in order to increase customer satisfaction and sales.

Ticketless Payment: At the Ticket Machine or via App

The introduction of the digital parking system automates parking processes: when entering and leaving, the license plate number of the vehicle is recorded by digital license plate recognition, the duration of the parking process is automatically determined, barriers and tickets are eliminated. Short-term, night parking and long-term parking tickets can be booked flexibly by visitors.

The parking process can be paid for with various smartphone apps such as EasyPark, by EC & credit card, and, among others, Apple Pay via NFC or at the parking machine. Only the time actually parked has to be paid! There is no conventional ticket made of paper or plastic, which reduces costs and waste. In addition, Peter Park has installed a new parking machine where users simply enter their license plate number to pay.

After payment, the area can simply be left with the vehicle. Clear signage once again reminds you not to forget to pay. The quick handling of the parking process without stopping at the barrier, without searching for the parking ticket, and the simple payment at the machine reduce waiting times and allow a quick exit from the parking area.

Efficient Mixed Use in the Parking Area

With the new parking management system from Peter Park, different conditions for parking use can be integrated depending on the customer group. For example, visitors to the fitness studio have the option of receiving a digital discount via an individual activation mask in the form of a tablet. This leads to more flexible pricing models, a higher-end customer orientation, and increased customer satisfaction.

Implementation of the Peter Park System

The implementation of the Peter Park system went smoothly for the operator. New cameras were installed for license plate recognition, as well as vending machines for payment, and Internet access was laid in the underground parking lot. The barrier systems, which were prone to repair, were uninstalled and new signs were installed to make visitors aware of the new digital system.

Additional posters and notices inside the shopping center indicate the barrier-free parking process and remind shoppers to go to the payment machine before leaving the parking area. Additional info screens explain the process step by step.

Resonance of the Shopping Center and Future Plans

Our customer "the Einstein" continues to be satisfied with his decision to install the Peter Park system.

Mr. Schuchardt, Senior Property Manager of the Cells Group, operator of "das Einstein":

"Until the introduction of the cloud-based parking management solution from Peter Park, the management of our parking areas represented high effort, which was associated with costs and high personnel deployment. We are completely convinced by the system and with Peter Park, we have a partner at our side with whom we would like to integrate further modular services to make parking even more customer-friendly and efficient."

He feels there have been noticeable improvements due to the automation of the processes. Backups and long waits are now avoided, as the elimination of barriers has led to faster parking. In Munich, which remains "the most congested city in Germany" according to data from traffic service provider Inrix, this is a key aspect that increases customer satisfaction among visitors. Another improvement is the management of the parking area, which has now been made more transparent and easier through a central dashboard. By increasing efficiency, the customer additionally saves costs and increases his turnover.

About Peter Park 

Peter Park is a digital parking system that eliminates the need for parking tickets, barriers, and parking discs. Peter Park System GmbH transforms parking lots into mobility hubs by providing parking lot operators and municipalities with automatic license plate recognition and cloud-based management software. The system from Munich was launched in 2019 and is already available in Germany and Austria.