American Eagle Outfitters (AEO) is the latest retailer to implement beacon technology, which is designed to help retailers better pinpoint consumers’ locations in store and provide them with relevant, timely offers.
Through a partnership with shopkick, AEO is launching shopBeacon, Apple’s iBeacon-based presence signal, in 100 top-performing American Eagle and Aerie stores. The trial is expected to go live in February 2014, and span nationwide, in states such as: Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York and San Francisco. Stores with the highest traffic levels — and best traction with shopkick — will implement the technology.
Using shopBeacon, AEO can welcome consumers and show them location-specific rewards, deals and even product recommendations as soon as they enter the store. All messages are delivered via push notifications, so consumers don’t have to open the shopkick mobile app on their smartphones. ShopBeacon can even tap customer behaviors across channels to make offers and recommendations more relevant. For example, if a customer “likes” a product online, shopBeacon will alert them if that item is available in-store.
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“AEO has always been an early adopter of cutting-edge technology, which is why we are partnering with shopkick once again, in order to provide our customers with the best mobile shopping experience available today,” said Joe Megibow, SVP of Omnichannel e-Commerce at AEO. “Shopkick first launched its app in our Times Square flagship store. Now with shopBeacon, we can deliver a plug and play solution that works to personalize our customers’ shopping experience in an impactful and powerful way.”
AEO joins Macy’s, which initially adopted shopBeacon in San Francisco and New York City flagship stores during November 2013.
To install shopBeacon, retailers stick the beacon device on a wall, under a display or on any flat surface. The shopkick software developer kit (SDK) allows retailers to customize and further personalize interactions with shoppers through branded store apps using shopBeacon. Shopkick has built proprietary technology on top of iBeacon to help ensure scalability, security and location accuracy.
