BIMA Breakfast Briefing | Introduction to Beacons: Technology and use cases for retail | Alex Sbardella

Alex Sbardella Product Strategy Director Red Ant www.redant.com/retailos

Intro to Beacons: Technology and Use Cases for Retail

Technical (ish)

Hardware:

Small, cheap, dumb

Hardware

§  Approx. £15 each, last for two years on a coin battery

§  Several different manufacturers – most are rebadging the same chips

§  Most are standards compliant and interoperable

§  Management platforms aren’t needed but do offer a little more flexibility (or restriction!)

§  Devices can be beacons too

Software

It’s all in the apps

Software Requirements

§  Native apps only §  Must be installed

§  Must have Bluetooth on

§  Must have location allowed

§  SDKs for existing apps

Health Warning

It’s early days

Restrictions

§ Reliability is not perfect (iOS 8 helps a lot)

§ Few developers have actually implemented

§ Users aren’t used to them

§ Bluetooth has negative connotations

Use Cases

Use cases

Location

Payments

Identification

Great Beacon Experience: Do’s

§ Be two-way § Be invisible § Be helpful § Be unique

Great Beacon Experience: Don’ts

§ Don’t spam § Don’t creep § Don’t expect

understanding :(  

Location – Accurate, helpful, timely

§ Track to inches (within reason) § Directions to Stores, Aisles, Products § Help employees find customers § Show content + products automatically § Work out when customers are near displays § Detect dawdlers § Works best with GPS

Identification – Go multichannel

§  Know who a shopper is and what store they’re in §  Show online info: products, customers, news… §  Get wishlist + personal recommendations §  Stock + Event alerts from outside the store §  Auto Click and Collect §  Personalised messaging §  Live deals §  Analytics

Payments + Sharing

§  Linked to online profile means linked to saved cards

§  PayPal Beacons / Apple Pay – Pay by Presence

§  Secure sharing between Staff, Store and Customer Devices

§  Automatic Check-Ins §  Loyalty & Rewards

Think Bigger Than Push Notifications

§  Be honest – does this add value for the customer or the marketing department?

§  GPS probably works better for them

§  Lack of innovation

Selected Case Studies

§  Apple –  https://www.exhilent.com/blog/case-study-apple-retail-store-ibeacons-

point-sale

§  Antwerp Gallery –  http://www.prophets.be/work/#/ibeacon/

§  MLB –  http://www.qualcomm.com/media/releases/2014/03/06/qualcomm-

provide-ibeacon-hardware-work-mlbcom-ballpark-app

§  Easyjet –  http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/content/18174.html

Technology  for  Smarter  Retailers  

RetailOS  is  an  in-­‐store  mobile  pla4orm  that  helps  employees  sell  smarter,  communicate  be8er,  and  manage  more  efficiently.  

•  Service  Plus:  Clienteling  &  Customer  Loyalty  

•  Store  Front:  In-­‐Store  eCommerce  

•  Sell  Smart:  CogniCve  CompuCng  for  Retail  

•  App  Commerce:  Truly  mulCchannel  mCommerce  

RetailOS

[email protected]   www.redant.com/retailos