Shoppers at a supermarket in Park City, Utah, are now carrying an RFID device to track their location in the store and display coupons, receipts, and promotional videos based on location. The system - Giving Cart - was developed by Time Domain and Klever Marketing, and was used for the first time by the independent department store The Market.
Mike Holm, the store manager, hopes that the system can increase customer loyalty and provide shopper behavior information, including where they stay more time and how long they wait at the checkout counter.
“The challenge we face is how to better communicate with customers and increase sales,†said Holm. To achieve this goal, he met with Klever Marketing earlier this year and designed the Giving Cart system.
The system includes Time Domain's Precision Location Ultra Wideband System (PLUS) tracking system using RFID chips, readers, antennas and Wi-Fi access points, and Klever Marketing software for promotional materials and coupons. Klever also designed the Giving Cart mobile device with an embedded Time Domain RFID chip.
Since this year's Labour Day, the receptionist at The Market's entrance has begun recommending mobile devices to shoppers to explain its advantages and usage. A shopper who agrees to try the device can hold the device or place it in the shopping cart. When the device is idle, it is inserted into a kiosk for charging.
The store, with an area of ​​approximately 40,000 square feet, installed a total of 44 RFID readers and antennas on the ceiling, initially using 50 mobile devices, according to Greg Clawson, senior global sales and marketing director at Time Domain.
Each device sends a 6.6 GHz signal with its ID code, and at least three readers simultaneously capture the signal to locate the device. The reader then sends the ID of the tagged device over the Ethernet connection to a server running Time Domain software, which determines that the tag's positional accuracy is within 1 foot. Based on this information, Klever software then uses a Wi-Fi connection to notify the mobile device of its location. The mobile device's software displays coupons or promotional information for products in this area (eg, when the shopper is near a certain area, a discounted peanut butter is displayed). The shopper then presses the button of the mobile device touch screen to select the coupon she wishes to redeem.
In order to increase the attractiveness of this system, the store also designed a "music rewards" event. The system will arbitrarily select some mobile devices that are in use to make music, which means that the customers who use these devices can get rewards, such as a cash discount on the total shopping price. When the customer checks out, she presents the device and displays the coupon or reward. When the shopper completes the checkout, the device is taken back by the receptionist or other employee and recharged at the kiosk.
In the future, Clawson said that when the user places the product in the shopping cart, he can scan the printed bar code on each product package to generate the overall price and speed up the cash register.
Store mobile devices can also display other local business promotions, such as nearby hotels.
Holm was very satisfied with the system, saying that after the system was installed, the sales volume had been improved, especially discounted goods. Both Holm and Giving Cart developers did not disclose the cost of installing and operating the system at The Market.
The Giving Cart differs from other RFID shopping cart solutions. Because it is a handheld solution, Clawson claims that stores do not need to install RFID equipment on all shopping carts, which can save costs because carts are rarely used.
Mike Holm, the store manager, hopes that the system can increase customer loyalty and provide shopper behavior information, including where they stay more time and how long they wait at the checkout counter.
“The challenge we face is how to better communicate with customers and increase sales,†said Holm. To achieve this goal, he met with Klever Marketing earlier this year and designed the Giving Cart system.
The system includes Time Domain's Precision Location Ultra Wideband System (PLUS) tracking system using RFID chips, readers, antennas and Wi-Fi access points, and Klever Marketing software for promotional materials and coupons. Klever also designed the Giving Cart mobile device with an embedded Time Domain RFID chip.
Since this year's Labour Day, the receptionist at The Market's entrance has begun recommending mobile devices to shoppers to explain its advantages and usage. A shopper who agrees to try the device can hold the device or place it in the shopping cart. When the device is idle, it is inserted into a kiosk for charging.
The store, with an area of ​​approximately 40,000 square feet, installed a total of 44 RFID readers and antennas on the ceiling, initially using 50 mobile devices, according to Greg Clawson, senior global sales and marketing director at Time Domain.
Each device sends a 6.6 GHz signal with its ID code, and at least three readers simultaneously capture the signal to locate the device. The reader then sends the ID of the tagged device over the Ethernet connection to a server running Time Domain software, which determines that the tag's positional accuracy is within 1 foot. Based on this information, Klever software then uses a Wi-Fi connection to notify the mobile device of its location. The mobile device's software displays coupons or promotional information for products in this area (eg, when the shopper is near a certain area, a discounted peanut butter is displayed). The shopper then presses the button of the mobile device touch screen to select the coupon she wishes to redeem.
In order to increase the attractiveness of this system, the store also designed a "music rewards" event. The system will arbitrarily select some mobile devices that are in use to make music, which means that the customers who use these devices can get rewards, such as a cash discount on the total shopping price. When the customer checks out, she presents the device and displays the coupon or reward. When the shopper completes the checkout, the device is taken back by the receptionist or other employee and recharged at the kiosk.
In the future, Clawson said that when the user places the product in the shopping cart, he can scan the printed bar code on each product package to generate the overall price and speed up the cash register.
Store mobile devices can also display other local business promotions, such as nearby hotels.
Holm was very satisfied with the system, saying that after the system was installed, the sales volume had been improved, especially discounted goods. Both Holm and Giving Cart developers did not disclose the cost of installing and operating the system at The Market.
The Giving Cart differs from other RFID shopping cart solutions. Because it is a handheld solution, Clawson claims that stores do not need to install RFID equipment on all shopping carts, which can save costs because carts are rarely used.