US software developer Swirl recently introduced an App offering shoppers individualized discounts based on their location in a store. Using Bluetooth Low Energy technology, consumers who opt-in will receive a notification via their smartphone as they approach particular departments.
Swirl has been offering this service in Kenneth Cole and Timberland stores in Boston and New York. The app tracks the shopping habits of customers and ensures that the receive offers that encourage them to expand their shopping habits. For example, a customer who has previously bought shoes would then receive a discount on a jacket or another item.
With 93% of retail transactions still happening in stores and 65% of in-store shoppers using their smartphones while they shop Swirl has the potential to help retailers and brands to communicate with customers while they are in the store store. By providing users with an incentive to provide this personal information Swirl may have cracked the problem of legitimately gaining useful marketing data.
