Tag: geolocation tech

Location based technology is acceptable to most shoppers

Consumers are open to accepting geolocation tech in order to access in-store services.

According to the newly released results of a study conducted by Zebra Technologies in its Corporation Global Shopper Study, shoppers are open to using location based technologies while in store in order to be able to gain access to services and offers that will enhance their experiences.

The study results offer insight into a range of different consumer interests in terms of mobile tech use.

Among the participants in the survey, the majority expressed an interest in using relevant location based technology over a store’s WiFi in order to enhance their shopping experience. Among the types of services in which they expressed interest were mobile coupons (said 51 percent), in-store shopping maps (45 percent), and help from associates (41 percent). This was the eighth annual edition of this study by Zebra Technologies.

The study also showed that location based technology could offer real-time info that shoppers want.

Location based technology - ShoppingAmong the respondents to this survey, 34 percent said that they felt that they had a better connection with a store through real-time information that they received through mobile devices than they did through the assistance of human associates working in the stores. At the same time, 64 percent of shoppers expressed that there was a greater likelihood that they would buy something if they felt that they were getting better customer services. Moreover, 52 percent of the participants in the research said that they valued retailers that improved the efficiency of the shopping experience through the use of technology.

Over three out of every four shoppers (76 percent) stated that they had a positive feeling about the experience of shopping in brick and mortar stores, and almost half of all consumers believe that technology solutions are assisting retailers in being able to better their shopping experience.

More insight was provided about the potential value of location based technology when it was revealed that 53 percent of consumers said that they “showroomed”, that is, they went to a store in order to have a look at a product, in person, but then bought that same item online. Equally, about a third of shoppers preferred to buy a product online and then pick it up at their nearest retail location, instead of having it shipped.

Geolocation beacons let JFK share actual wait times

Location based technology is now being used to be able to display the length of time major lines will take.

One of the world’s largest airports – the busiest one in New York – is now using geolocation beacons to be able to provide people with the actual wait times that they will face when they enter into a major lineup.

This new system will be powered by BlipTrack beacons from BLIP Systems, which is based in Denmark.

This geolocation technology beacon installation was put into place by Lockheed Martin. This system has been implemented with the intention of making it easier for passengers to make through Terminal 4 at JFK Airport. Thirteen new screens have been installed in order to display estimated processing times. These large-size screens are prominently displayed and have been installed at the checkpoints for TSA Security and Customers and Border Protection. There is also an indoor taxi lineup display.

The geolocation beacons make it possible for continual updates to be presented to travelers.

Geolocation - JFK AirportAccording to the JFKAT vice president, Daryl Jameson, “It continuously updates”. JFKIAT is the company behind the operation of Terminal 4. So far, people are responding well to having the information available to them, as they know how long they will have to wait in the lines, and aren’t left wondering. As lineups aren’t an activity that most people enjoy, this “signage helps to manage expectations.”

The beacons work by conducting anonymous tracking of the mobile devices of passengers as they make their way through the airport. This way, while the individuals aren’t identified, the length of time that they spend in certain processing locations can be determined. The BlipTrack solution detects devices running on WiFi or Bluetooth and that are in “discoverable” mode, such as in tablets and smartphones.

Once one of these devices makes its way past one of the geolocation beacons, the beacon records the mobile device’s non-personal unique ID (it’s MAC address), which is then encrypted and time stamped. When that device is identified once again at other beacon locations, patterns among travelers can be established so that wait and travel times can be measured.