Transport - A Review of Income-Generating Opportunities at DLR Stations - FMX

Transport – A Review of Income-Generating Opportunities at DLR Stations

Client: TFL / DLR

We were called upon to provide retail strategy, placemaking and development consultancy advice to facilitate the growth of the DLR commercial and cultural offering, and to increase the stations’ connectivity to the town centres in which they sit.

The Brief

To ensure that the DLR provides commercial facilities and services which meet customers' aspirations for the 21st Century, and which enhance the customer experience at the individual DLR stations;
To capitalise upon this important opportunity for TfL to secure additional revenue from the DLR station portfolio, which could be reinvested across the transport network.

The project comprised of three distinct components:

A holistic DLR-wide overview of the commercial opportunity presented by the station sites, in response to current and future market opportunities.
A review of each individual DLR station and the opportunities available; it was key that these were flexible and adaptable enough to respond to changing market conditions. These initiatives could drive direct revenues or drive them indirectly through drastically improving the stations and surrounding environments. The commercial initiatives included (but were not limited to) traditional retail (shops and kiosks), flexible leasing and pop-up retail, delivery lockers, interactive and immersive advertising, luggage storage and new-age vending machines. Potential non-commercial activations included art initiatives, lighting, music strategy and both environmental and renewable energy initiatives.
The preparation of a marketing and letting strategy, presenting a clear action plan for promoting the identified opportunities. For this we looked at delivery methods and marketing tools which would allow the client to deliver on the strategy.

The Result

This project aptly demonstrates MMX's ability to review broad portfolios of assets and deliver projects which can drive revenues through active placemaking within both private and public realm. Due to the local nature of the DLR network, it was essential to ensure that the transport network remained a community asset, and as such we suggested non-commercial and commercial activations which would add value to the local community.

It was also important to maintain the cutting-edge image which the DLR wished to project. Therefore, many of the activations which we suggested could create legacy value to both client and user by focussing on the key topic of environmental sustainability.

By analysing a dispersed and diverse network of properties, we developed a detailed matrix for the client, importantly producing actionable commercial and non-commercial opportunities.