Tech Corner: June 2023
Topic: How do Retail Stores know when I’m near them?
If you’ve ever wondered how the local coffee shop starts sending you advertisements when you are near one of their locations, or how the department store starts sending you notices about store sales when you are in their proximity… The answer is built right into your question, by your proximity.
The retail location knows your “Proximity” through the usage of a low energy Bluetooth technology called Beacons, used for Proximity Marketing,
Beacons and Proximity Marketing are utilized to attract more shoppers and increase foot traffic in their retail stores. They are small wireless devices that use a low energy to transmit Bluetooth signals to nearby smartphones. This technology was introduced back In 2013 and within its first 3 years, became an industry worth $280 million, by 2019 was valued at $2 billion. This Bluetooth style of proximity/location-based marketing is expected to reach more than $70 billion by 2030.
Statistics show that Google Android devices alone pull more than 40 billion requests for beacon-related content from Google Services every year.
By using these beacons, the retail stores can not only send you personalized marketing and discounts specials, but can also track customer behavior and movement through their stores or aisles. Helping them understand their clientele, how they shop within their stores, and what products to place where for better outcomes.
Beacon Technology is currently used in numerous industries such as retail, health care, travel, education, cafes, restaurants, and digital marketing.
So now that you know a bit more about these Beacons and Proximity Marketing, you’ll have a better sense of how the retail stores are sending you notes on your phone when you are near them.
