A UK supermarket chain is exploring a variety of options for mobile data to customers.
What's on offer? Image: Tesco |
Tesco, which has built a reputation in the UK for it's leading-edge use of customer data for loyalty programmes and supply chain management, is testing the latest Near Field Communication (NFC) technology with a view to enhancing product marketing.
The company is experimenting with Apple's i-Beacons, low-powered transmitters which can allow data messages to be sent to mobile phones in the proximity of specific aisles or products. Initially, the tests are only being conducted in a single store in the South East of England, with a view to future roll-out across the UK.
According to a Tesco spokesman, the technology is being linked to the company's own MyStore mobile app which can allow customers to create shopping lists and other useful tools specific to the individual store they are visiting. However, the company has stated that initial trials will not include product marketing messages as it believes delivering deals or vouchers to customers at the time they are examining a specific product could prove a "scary" prospect.
While the various benefits to retailers and product marketers are clear, NFC - or proximity technology - is still in its infancy and is, according to Tesco, some way from being mature enough for widespread use. However, the company stated that it is likely to trial some kind of voucher-based marketing within the next 12 months, although large-scale adoption is still a couple of years away in the UK.