The ascension of mobile broadband has seen the Internet of Things revolutionise several industries. One industry that has seen vast changes is retail.
In this blog, we explore how the retail industry has embraced the Internet of Things to improve the consumer experience and the efficiency in which their shops are run.
Measuring customer behaviour
Using IoT sensors, retailers can accurately measure the behaviour of their customers. The sensors are able to measure information such as the direction a customer takes in the store, how long they spend looking at particular items and how long they engage with in-store advertising such as digital signage. Retailers can use this information to tailor the customer experience, for example, if consumers are not interacting with digital signage for the required amount of time, a retailer will know they are not getting their message across effectively.
Send push notifications
One form of IoT device used by retailers is called a beacon. This sends users a targeted advertisement when they are in a certain location. For example, a retail store in a shopping mall could send users a notification detailing a special offer or sale when they enter the mall. This increases the likelihood the consumers will visit that store.
Failover
With 4G broadband becoming ever more reliable, and with the low latency and ultrafast speeds that 5G promises to bring when it is fully rolled out. This allows the retail industry to run systems and services, such as Point of Sale and PDQ machines using 4G/5G networks. This ensures that retail outlets always have access to critical systems, allowing them to achieve their primary objective – makes sales.
Tracking Assets
How often do you see a supermarket trolley in a completely random location around the local town? Have you ever thought about the impact that a “lost” trolley could have on a supermarket? First of all, there’s the financial cost to the supermarket of having to replace the trolley, and then, of course, there is the fact that there is one less trolley available to customers. By fitting an IoT sensor, supermarkets can pinpoint where their trolleys are, meaning they will not lose as many. Also, they can measure if there are enough available to customers.
IoT is having an impact on everyday life.
If your business wants to explore IoT technologies, please feel free to contact us now on 01635 884170 or sales@stream-networks.co.uk