On August 5, 2015 Target announced their latest move to
create a smarter, more convenient and inspiring in-store shopping
experience, Target is testing beacon technology in 50
locations nationwide. In these stores, the Target app will serve up timely deals
and recommendations on nearby products and more.
What’s a beacon?
Beacons are small devices (about the size of an egg) placed
throughout the store that transmit signals—like a radio antennae—via Bluetooth.
The beacon’s signals can be detected by smartphone apps. In the case of Target,
their iPhone app receives the signal and, when you’re opted in, it delivers
content to your phone.
Learn more about fashion
retail beacon technology and how it can be used in clothing
stores.
How do I get started with the Target store
beacon?
First, you would need to download or update to the latest
version of the Target iPhone app (version 7.4 or higher) and enable
Bluetooth in your phone’s settings.
When you’re located near one of the 50 test stores—in
Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York City, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco
and Seattle – you will be prompted to “opt in” to share your location and
receive push notifications. (Don’t worry about being overwhelmed with
pop-ups—they have indicated that they are going to limit the amount you receive
to two per shopping trip, and they will make sure the alerts and in-app updates
provide compelling content and offers.)
What can I expect when using this beacon technology at
Target?
Let’s say you’re shopping in the shoe department. After you
opt in to this new technology (on your iPhone), product recommendations from the
shoe department may pop up on your iPhone (via push notifications or in-app
updates) on the Target app’s “Target Run” home page. The “Target Run” page is
like a social media site’s newsfeed, so the latest content—i.e. product
recommendations or coupons based on your location in the store is added on top
of the page.
What does this look like? Let’s say you’re browsing women’s
apparel. You might get an alert about nearby items that are trending on
Pinterest. In all honesty, we have not yet utilized the app at Target, so we
are not sure what else you may see from the app.
What’s next regarding this tech?
Target is already working to develop additional features for
future release, including the ability to dynamically re-sort your shopping list
as you move through the store, like how smartphone maps re-route when you veer
off course (in our opinion that is a great feature).
Target is also planning to launch a service in the Target app
where you can request the help of a store team member right from your phone.
Think of it this way: Beacons + Target app = Red-and-Khaki to the Rescue. At
this time, Apparel Search is not sure how well this feature would work, but we
certainly look forward to testing out this new service when it becomes
available.
Based on results and the guest feedback they receive from the
50-store test, they will continue to enhance and adapt the service, which isn’t
currently available for Android devices. (Rest assured Droid lovers: Target has
indicated that they are working on that, too!)
We are not one hundred percent certain, but we believe that
they are already planning to expand the beacon service to more stores later this
year.
Fashion retail beacon technology is an exciting new tool that
is still very new to retailers. We are pleased to know that Target is utilizing
the technology. We hope that they create amazing services for the clothing
departments in the store.
Thank you for taking the time to read our fashion retail technology blog post. We hope that you have found this news to be informative. If you have comments or questions, please add your thoughts in the discussion area below.