This is really smart on three
levels. First, it’s a very helpful use of technology. Macy’s Herald Square is
massive (the largest store in the world so we're told - although I have yet to visit every other store to compare), so indoor GPS will enable shoppers to
navigate the store to find exactly what they’re looking for. You want to make
it as easy as possible for a sale to occur.
Second, based on where a person is
standing in the store, Macy’s can offer discounts or other offers. Think about
that: if you’re there to buy shoes but you have to pass through the watch
section to get to footwear, a special offer for a timepiece might at least get
you to stop and think about buying it. Or during the holiday season, they could
prompt you to buy some impulse or gag-gift items that are less expensive. Or
when you buy X, you could be prompted to buy complementary merchandise before
you get to checkout.
Third, the pure novelty of this will
attract more (new) shoppers to Macy’s. Of course, soon enough every major
retailer will try this and it will eliminate any tech front-runner goodwill Macy’s
may have.
This has been looked at quite a bit using WiFi beacons within stores to address issues w some big box stores having substantial dead zones for cellular coverage. The problem there is most people have WiFi off when out of home.
ReplyDeleteThe danger with allowing greater connectivity is that it also simultaneously allows greater access to Amazon and such to "scan and scram" - browse in person but but online.
Great article... Thanks for sharing, it's interesting informative post for me. I have found something interesting to share with you Indoor positioning system
ReplyDelete