RATP Group operates 16 million journeys around the world every day. Shops and services can play a key role in making these daily journeys both useful and enjoyable. In the Île-de-France region, for example, Pickup lockers from La Poste allow passengers to collect packages from automatic lockers with extended opening hours in around 30 stations on the network operated by RATP for Île-de-France Mobilités. This constitutes an innovative and practical response to the boom in e-commerce.
The convenience stores that now typify modern urban retail make life easier for passengers seeking practical solutions and help ease the stress of their daily activities. They stock high-quality, affordable and eco-responsible food along with everyday essentials (hygiene products, headphones, etc.).
Consumers’ favourite brands are available for passengers in major transport hubs. At Châtelet-Les Halles and La Défense stations, as well as in the renovated Auber station, the brands adapt their offers and formats to customers in transit who have various needs throughout the day. Greengrocers and shoe repair services are also part of metro life besides the famous high street names. The fruit and vegetable stalls have undergone a colourful and modern makeover at the initiative of RATP Travel Retail, the RATP Group subsidiary in charge of retail areas to boost and support the independent traders that have long been a feature of the Paris metro.
Finding a pharmacy, medical laboratory or health professional on your journey means optimising your daily schedule to take better care of your health. The four health centres on the network, including the two hubs that opened in 2021 at Bibliothèque-François-Mitterrand station on metro line 14 and Fontenay-sous-Bois station on RER line A, are already extremely popular. Further innovations are planned 2023 to enhance this essential service offer.
Passenger service is not only about meeting needs, but also about going the extra mile with little touches that make passengers’ daily lives easier. For example, recharging mobile phones at a Point Connect terminal, a charging station specially designed for a quick break and equipped with USB outlets and access to free RATP Wi-Fi. Not forgetting the loan of an umbrella, a service offered on metro lines 3, 8, 11 and 14, or the book-swap boxes installed at tram stations. The services are also about surprising passengers with new immersive experiences like those created on the Paris metro in June 2022 in partnership with Lego®.
Temporary retail outlets, i.e., pop-up shops, concept stores, event stands in stations, add to the vibrancy on the network by allowing passengers to discover new brands at 35 sites. The outlets reach out to their public and take advantage of the flow of people through the city, knowing they will draw customers from a wider range of backgrounds.
