Part one in this series discussed a recent article describing how retail stores are tracking customer Wi-Fi usage. This is just part of the evolution of retail.
Brick-and-mortar stores want to understand the effectiveness of marketing, from how many people pass by the store vs. how many come in, to where they stand and for how long. The challenge is, of course, how to get them inside, and then how to benefit the customers once they are inside. Above and beyond the analytics mentioned above, companies can use a variety of other applications in conjunction with Wi-Fi deployments to make for an even richer shopping experience.
Image via Shutterstock
These stores can, with the right Wi-Fi network, offer a host of helpful applications that can enrich the customer experience. Imagine scanning a barcode and accessing reviews or demonstration videos. Or, perhaps the retail store can push digital coupons or daily deals toa shopper’s phone. The habit of “showrooming,” when people look at items in a brick-and-mortar store and then make their purchases online, has become a major concern for retailers, and they are working to do whatever they can to keep customers engaged and spending money.
Pedersen stated that most of the retail clients that work with iPass (News - Alert) are focused on analytics, as companies view this information as essential in today’s economy. But these stores are also aware of the other use cases for Wi-Fi. Since these companies are focused on their core competencies – selling their wares – they are not experts in Wi-Fi or WAN networks. That is where the team from iPass Unity Network Services comes in. They are experts in deploying networks in many verticals, including retail. They can work with companies to identify their needs and plan, deploy and manage the network so that retail stores can have the infrastructure they need to collect data and provide a quality experience for shoppers. In this way, retailers can keep up with the times and challenge the online stores for customer dollars.