25 practical examples of the use of iBeacon technology in retail

In Russia, unfortunately, not many successful examples of technology Apple iBeacon, but I see the interest of big companies (and, incidentally, to technology (Google) Physical Web) and I am sure that we will hear about case studies of implementations in 2017 in Russia. This is indirectly confirmed by the interest of retailers and regional partners (franchisees) to our project letmeget.ru, which uses geo-location technology (ibeacon/geofencing/physical web) to attract new customers in the location (next post will be about our experience with this project to iBeacon).

The following is mentioned in the title 25 live cases, and for those who want to get more information about how this technology works, how it is possible to earn in Russia (and I believe, for example, the physical web is very promising), I advise you to subscribe to our youtube channel where these issues are discussed regularly through the prism of practical use... for Example, we share the experience of implementation of the physical web beacons (Google Eddystone) in shopping centers of St. Petersburg and Moscow..., Russia, when I talk about the possibilities of iBeacon, most people are interested in why the ability to gather Analytics on attendance of its stores and potentially competitors :) (Yes, so can you!). So...


According to the latest edition of the Handbook of marketing companies Unacast for the 4th quarter is becoming more commonplace iBeacon technology, i.e., placing small sensors, acting as a lighthouse and used for navigation of visitors among the shelves with products. These data coincide with the forecast of the research company ABI Research, according to which by 2020 the number of installed "beacons" will reach 400 million. Last year, we have witnessed large-scale deployment of iBeacon technology major brands, and in the new year Rite Aid has managed to announce the most ambitious to date, iBeacon campaigns in the retail sector. In light of these events we have made and present to our readers a list of the 25 largest retailers have relied on the proximal marketing campaign based on iBeacon technology. So, let's start:

1) Carrefour

Carrefour has a wide network of beacons iBeacon in all of its 28 hypermarkets in Romania, through which the company offers its customers a simple, intuitive and fun app to navigate inside the hypermarkets when moving from one zone to another. This app works with the "beacon" that automatically deliver content and collect information about visitor behaviour that are store. Proximal provides marketing informing the visitor about products, services and special offers in every Department of a Department store. iBeacon technology has helped Carrefour to increase the level of trade relations by expanding the use of such mobile application (400%), and the number of app users increased by 600% in seven months.



2) Eat Eat

Network of catering companies "Eat" has joined forces with Pouch for the introduction of a mobile app to activate "beacons" and Weve contain information about the loyalty card. The application can also send users push notifications. This partnership was the result of the desire to allow buyers to rethink attitude toward making purchases, both in store and in the virtual space. Eat promoted this innovation as a "strategic framework" for its communications, as it allowed the company to get more information about the behavior of their customers, the analysis of which provides accurate decisions on the impact on consumer behavior.

3) Meadowhall
Shopping centre in Sheffield, UK, (Meadowhall Shopping Centre), used iBeacon technology for gamification so-called Ladies’ Night event with the participation of various brands, offering special deals, discounts, promotions and free gifts. Among the participants were many well-known retailers: Hotel Chocolat, Krispy Kreme, Cath Kidston and House of Fraser. Customers have to download the mobile application Meadowhall activated "beacon", and then in contact with the area of operation of the light they receive on their smartphone a message. This event was a huge success: within the first three hours was the app was downloaded more than 500 times, more than 500 proposals was purchased. 120 "hot" offerings were purchased during the first 52 minutes. Meadowhall also received the award for "Purple Apple" for the strategic marketing, using the "demolition" of Bluetooth beacons for mobile phones.

4) Hammerson

Hammerson has installed beacons iBeacon in all of its malls in order to have more detailed and personalized information about the purchasing activity of their customers. Their application "app Plus" activated "beacons" has been pre-tested in Les Terrasses du Port (Marseille) and entered the top ten best lifestyle mobile app in France. Currently, its already downloaded more than 80,000 customers, and Hammerson has installed more than 6,000 of the beacons in all their shopping centres in the territories of Britain and France. Retail center insists on using this technology for sending personal offers to its customers located in a specific point shopping centre and also to clarify the routes of movement of customers inside the shopping Mall.

5) Shops on Regent Street

World famous brands such as Hamleys, Armani, Longchamp and Hackett make 80% of all retailers placing "beacons" in their stores, Ridge Street for the purpose of sending exclusive and personalized push notifications to their customers using iBeacon technology. Passing by, buyers get a notice from specially selected commercial content everything from new promotions of the company to exclusive offers for visitors to store on Regent Street. Mobile apps also allow visitors to specify their preferences while maintaining anonymity. These brands can also create detailed profiles of customers who buy special offers via the Internet responsive to mobile ads and visiting the stores.

6) Rite Aid

Drugstore chain Rite Aid set "beacons" to more than 4,500 stores in the United States, to be able to do a personalized assessment of consumer activity. The widespread deployment of "beacons" is the largest implementation of iBeacon technology in retail today. In fact, they exceeded the figures, well-known companies Macy's. Rite Aid plans to install the beacons, which will allow you to create a digital infrastructure and warehouses connect to the Universal Internet of Things (IoT) and iBeacon technology to collect information about visitors nearby to build a plan for change targets and achieve the possibilities of personification, like that already used in e-Commerce.

7) Woolworths

The supermarket giant Woolworths has successfully completed the testing of the "beacon" in one of its stores using iBeacon technology to improve the quality of service to its customers using the service "click-and-collect". Subsequently, a chain of stores announced that it is going to place "beacons" in all of its 254 stores supporting the service "click-and-collect", which will allow customers to place orders online and pick them up in one of the physical stores. For example, once the user of the service "click-and-collect" a certain radius, set for the shop the notification is sent to the sampling system Woolworths. Such a notification informs the staff about what you need to begin to assemble the order. In the next step of the order fulfillment application sends the client a push notification that their order is ready for pick-up.
8) Target

Retail chain Target is the second largest retailer of consumer goods in the United States – announced the start of iBeacon trials in 50 stores across the country. The company plans to limit the number of notifications from the beacons two push notifications on every trip to the store, so as not to disturb the customers too often and cause irritation. Recommendations can be submitted as notifications or updates on the page the "Target Run" a mobile app, made by analogy with promotional offers in the news feeds of social networks, with popularity on Pinterest, and so on. For starters, Target is testing the technology in 50 of its stores in the cities of Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, Portland, new York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Seattle.

9) Macy's

After successful testing iBeacon technology in new York and San Francisco Macy's has expanded the program to include all its enterprises across the USA and setting that more than 4,000 of "beacons". This step was caused by the aspirations of the retailer to increase investment in omni-channel technologies for retail business. Thanksgiving Day Macy's also used to attract customers games mobile app launched with the help of iBeacon, 700 of its stores. Shoppers receive push notifications triggered by beacons installed in the middle of radius around the store. These notices encouraged them to participate in the exchange of experience in digital technology with a chance to win a gift certificate to Macy's for $ 1 million and other prizes.

10) Urban Outfitters

A little over a year ago, Urban Outfitters announced that will establish "beacons" in 15 stores in Philadelphia, Boston, new York, Atlanta, new Jersey and Delaware. Multichannel Retailer American fashion items and household items decided to go the other and not to make aggressive promotions. They used their own mobile app with indicators developed as part of a customer loyalty programme Urban, to include a section allowing customers to receive bonuses and access to special events. In addition, they focused on the use of indicators in three areas: at the box office, in the fitting room and at the entrance.

11) American Eagle Outfitters

American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) together with Shopkick has launched a network based on iBeacon in more than 100 of the most profitable stores located in the Chicago, Dallas, Miami, new York and San Francisco. The idea was the introduction of iBeacon-technology in retail locations, which has the highest permeability and best support Shopkick.

12) Waitrose

British supermarket Waitrose started to use iBeacon in a relatively new experimental store in Swindon to send buyers messages about discounts, when they were near a particular aisle or food counter around. Working on iBeacon mobile app Waitrose also allows the user to scan barcodes, read product reviews, add items to a virtual shopping cart and pay through mobile wallet. This mobile app also allows the user to send a request for assistance. An employee receives such a request, and information about the customer and previous purchases that allows you to create an individual approach to the resolution of the issue.

13) GasBuddy

GasBuddy is a company providing information on retail gasoline prices through its website and app, recently upgraded this service by providing retailers and brands the ability to send promotional offers to customers at gas stations. With this purpose, GasBuddy has decided to set up BLE beacons at 150 000 shops at petrol stations in the United States and Canada. So, shops and manufacturers will be able to obtain information about consumer behavior, it is extremely useful when conducting analysis of a business. For example, the collected data can help to determine the most popular brands in specific retail outlet.
14) Oscar Mayer

While the majority of retailers have campaigned for the large-scale introduction of iBeacon, Oscar Mayer has developed an interesting partnership scheme with supermarkets that allow to place the beacons on the shelves. This placement helps to stimulate visitors to buy "products of the week" during their wait at the cash register.

15) Tesco

British supermarket giant Tesco launched the "most extensive" testing iBeacon in conjunction with the company selling consumer goods Unilever, placing "beacons" in 270 stores across London. They launched the App 'Mpulse app' as part of the marketing campaign, "Pink and Black". After downloading this mobile application consumers passing by beacons installed in 270 stores, "Tesco Express" received on their phones exclusive discount coupons for Magnum ice cream "Pink and Black".

16) McDonald's

In search of ways of optimization of personal customer interaction, and promote a new line of coffee drinks McDonald's also decided to try out the proximal marketing based on iBeacon-technology in 16 restaurants of Istanbul. To implement the program you selected is popular in Turkey app for regular customers Shopping Genie, which is activated when a smartphone owner went into a McDonald's restaurant. Through this application, customers receive coupons for a free drink from a new line when buying coffee. Such proximal a marketing campaign based on iBeacon has helped McDonald's to reach 20% efficiency, because 30% of those who received notification of buyers interested in the proposal.

17) Alex & Ani

Alex &Ani used the iBeacon in all of its 40 stores to optimize the shopping layout and placing products on display. Contrary to popular belief "beacons" are designed not only to "sell" ads, and famous brand of jewelry in Rhode island in a completely different way used iBeacon technology during the probationary period: no mobile ads, no promotions. Instead, the retailer used the beacons to inform consumers about jewelry. 30% of consumers who saw such notice, visited the store. The brand has focused on gathering data for analytical studies and improvement-plan retail space, which will help them to increase profitability.

18) Nisa

Popular chain of convenience stores Nisa began testing iBeacon technology designed to monitor the movement of customers through BLE beacons installed on the trolleys and baskets for shopping. To track the movement of the visitor inside the store "beacons" are used in conjunction with sensors placed on the ceiling of the store. Such sensors receive signals emitted by "beacons", and thus gather information about the whereabouts of the visitor. The information is then transferred for analysis via the cloud-based server. Retailers can use a similar scheme to obtain information such as the total time spent by a customer in the store, or stay about the shelves with specific products.

19) Lord & Taylor

Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), which owns the brand "Lord & Taylor" already installed "beacons" in 50 stores such as Lord & Taylor in the U.S. and 90 Hudson's Bay points. The network has posted a separate "beacons" for different ad campaigns for each Department, which helps to attract the customer's attention and interest him. In some departments the visitor gets a coupon code – up to 70% on some products with a special "open source", which is used to track the effectiveness of iBeacon technology.

20) Walgreens

Walgreens significantly improved trading space by using iBeacon, and other innovative technologies in 7000 retail outlets. Duane Reade, the largest in new York drugstore chain owned by Walgreens, uses iBeacon in ten of its stores with the aim of increasing customer loyalty. Walgreens began to use "beacons" to send notifications about special offers of passing visitors and for the issuance of coupons. They also expanded the possibilities of working with notifications through the app: using the app, the user can print photos from Instagram or to complete a recipe in automatic mode.
21) Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus, the upscale chain of retail stores, has launched a test version of "beacons" in his three stores —Austin, TX, Walnut Creek, (CA), and San Antonio. They focus on promoting the ongoing in-store events such as private screenings, meetings with artists, autograph sessions, etc... These notices inform the buyer information about the time of the events and their format at the time when it is in the store.

22) Best Buy

Best Buy has implemented iBeacon technology to boost sales and personalize customer service. Giant retail chain chose to use their own mobile app along with the app Shopkick, for sending you special bonuses for all visitors entering the store. When Best Buy was not aimed at the promotion of specific products through advertising notifications.

23) Walmart

Walmart conducted a unique experiment with iBeacon technology, with the participation of GE. The retail giant used an led bulb GE to place "beacons", and also to send push notifications of special promotions and discounts for customers who visited the store. Led lamps, equipped with "beacons" that can monitor visitors inside the shop with built-in iBeacon technology. Such shops this eliminates the need to purchase separate technical devices installation beacons.

24) Kenneth Cole

Kenneth Cole uses iBeacon technology to create more compelling and personalized customer service to "the value of services or proposal is timely, i.e. it is necessary to offer at the moment when the customer is inside the store." The retailer noted a significant increase in the use of applications and increasing sales after the introduction of iBeacon technology.

25) Nordstrom

Nordstrom, a retailer, operating in Seattle, uses iBeacon technology to "erase the boundaries" between the real and virtual shopping. Their mobile app is activated "beacons," conveys to the consumer a signal about the presence of a range of goods from its online basket at the time when the consumer is near the store, which has a "beacon." Thus Nordstrom facilitates its visitors use the online store, along with a visit to the actual outlets.

If you know of other interesting, but not mentioned in the article, a marketing campaign based on the proximal marketing, please share with us in the comments :) We very much believe in the future of iBeacon and have added it in support of our mobile apps designer appropio.com, so that even small companies could take to try technology in action!

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru