Using indoor navigation and positioning is taking retail to a new level of development. By employing the technology, department stores can easily capture the attention of visitors and increase customer loyalty. Store mapping allows customers to get detailed maps of the buildings, which makes it easier to find products and saves time on shopping. This makes working with customers more effective and increases their average spend, as well as profits.
How Can Digital Maps Benefit Your Store?
Modern indoor navigation systems provide high-level mapping and help easily find items in places where a regular GPS signal is not sufficient. To build a map, it’s enough to use a smartphone equipped with iOS or Android, which almost anyone has these days. When implementing the app, you can efficiently provide indoor navigation, help customers find desired products, and get effective analytics that can help you optimize the location of items on the shelves.
Indoor Navigation for Customers
Signs aren’t always enough when it comes to finding the desired products. Many stores have countless elaborate aisles and rows of shelves that force customers to wander for a long time in search of the item they want to purchase. With indoor mapping, those issues can be avoided. The in-store navigation app helps to build detailed digital maps that suggest the most suitable trajectory for the customers.
The retail mapping software functions are provided based on various beacons or tags that take into account the user’s location. A customer with a smartphone just needs to use the indoor store navigation app (or a store app with an integrated location SDK) to get the shortest and most convenient route to the section or shelf needed.
Additionally, the platform can give you tips or send push notifications about promotions, discounts, and bonus offers. If needed, the system can be used to provide customers with valuable information. For example, the app can notify customers that an item on their list is sold out, or that there are products on sale nearby. According to research data, the possibility of a purchase with one-time offers like this is up to 78%.
Convenient Product Search on the Map
Large crowds and inconvenient navigation, such as generic pointers, do not always allow for finding the right product and can even discourage customers from buying it. As a result, the customer probably will not visit the store again, which can result in a drop in profits.
The retail store mapping software helps resolve this issue. By using an in-store navigation app you can conveniently search for items even in large department stores. You can search by product name, brand, category, and other common metrics. The combination of mapping and indoor positioning helps customers easily navigate the store and locate anything it has to offer. Whether the customer has a shopping list or is just window shopping, the store mapping solution quickly builds routes and adapts to each visitor.
If needed, the indoor store navigation platform comes up with a route for the entire list of products. All you have to do is just provide your grocery list, and the retail mapping software will come up with the best itinerary to cover each step of the way.
Real-Time Access to Product Location and Warehouse Data for Staff
Using mapping and in-store navigation can empower staff. By implementing this technology, employees can access accurate data on the product location and stock in real-time, which increases the efficiency of their work. As soon as a product runs out of stock, the platform immediately notifies the staff, so they can restock on time.
In case you need to find a particular product in one of the sections, the staff can take advantage of the same map as the visitors. This is especially convenient for the employees who place products on shelves or ship online orders. A quick search for goods saves time and allows the staff to focus on more important activities in the store or the warehouses.
Store Analytics to Optimize Product and Aisle Placement
When shoppers use in-store mapping, the digital platform of indoor store navigation collects detailed data about their actions. Browsing product categories, looking for individual items, building routes to certain sections and departments – all the data can be analyzed and added up into a scenario that helps retailers navigate products.
The in-store navigation app builds heat maps of stores, which allow retailers to:
- detect the most frequently visited spots in the store;
- identify areas where it would be beneficial to correct the layout;
- understand which promotions work better than others;
- determine which products are the most in-demand at any given point;
- identify bottlenecks where it’s challenging for customers to move around.
Additionally, the system provides detailed data on customer behavior. The retailer can evaluate the very fact of visiting the store, as well as the frequency of visits for each client, average wait time, the number of repeated visits, etc. In the future, it can open up new opportunities for setting up effective marketing campaigns. The data about visitor behavior allows you to personalize your offers and optimize your ROAS.
Benefits and Advantages of Digital Store Maps for Retailers
Indoor store navigation provides retailers with unlimited business opportunities. While using a store navigation app, retailers can take advantage of many benefits, such as:
- increasing the average spend per visit;
- personalizing advertising messages;
- increasing the profits;
- getting hold of detailed data on store traffic and visitor behavior to improve the store;
- improving the user experience of customers by using a mobile app;
- improving safety of customers and staff;
- establishing a direct communication channel with customers;
- increasing efficiency of pay-per-click advertising;
- allowing store managers to quickly contact employees to adjust daily tasks.
To sum up, retail store mapping is highly beneficial to both customers and retailers. Thanks to this technology, it’s easier for customers to move around the stores, while store owners can improve loyalty of their visitors and work on optimizing their business strategy for increased profits.
