Italy's VéGé Group has launched the first test project for the use of Beacon technology in an Italian supermarket.
The Beacon devices are Bluetooth seonsors that detect, remotely, the presence and position of smartphones, initiating a data exchange with them. Thus, the store is able to interact with the customer while moving between lanes, providing product information, news and promotions directly to the user's smartphone.
The viability of the project is based on the use of smartphones in Italy, where the penetration rate for these devices has reached 66.6% of the population between 16 and 54 years.
For the testing phase, VéGé Group has selected the Dimeglio store in Crevalcore (Bologna).
The current trial will allow VéGé Group to evaluate customer response and, consequently, to schedule the timetable and modalities for the extension of the project to the whole sales network.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic