Hudson’s Bay Company recently announced that they will be equipping their North American stores with retail beacons. The company will fit select Lord & Taylor and The Bay shops with location-aware Bluetooth LE iBeacon technology.
Aiming to enhance the shopping experience of consumers, this technology will be set up across specific merchandising areas, ultimately notifying shoppers of pricing and stock information along with in-store promotions that they can participate in.
This technology also allows shoppers to curate looks online prior to visiting a store and will lead them to those specific items when they are at their destination. The Hudson's Bay Company is not the first department store to equip their locations with retail beacons and follows in the footsteps of shops like Macy's and Bloomingdales.
Immersive Retail Beacons
Hudson’s Bay Company Introduces iBeacon at North American Locations
Trend Themes
1. Immersive Retail Beacons - Retail beacons are becoming more widespread in department stores and offer a potential for enhancing the shopping experience.
2. Location-aware Technology - Location-aware technology utilizing Bluetooth low energy offers potential for providing targeted and contextual retail experiences.
3. Online-offline Integration - The integration of online/offline capabilities, such as curating looks online, offers potential to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping experiences.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Retailers can take advantage of retail beacons and location-aware technology to provide a more personalized and immersive shopping experience for customers.
2. Technology - Location-aware technology utilizing Bluetooth low energy offers potential for companies to provide targeted customer experiences.
3. Fashion - The integration of online/offline capabilities, such as curating looks online, offers potential for fashion retailers to bridge the gap between online and in-store shopping experiences.