It happened to each of us – going into a store to buy something and not being able to find it. Pacing among the raffles completely clueless about the location of the desired item.
This is one of the major frustrations for shoppers – thus, Target has decided to improve this aspect of their customer experience. They are adding certain technology to their app which will help you determine where the product you are looking for is.
Target has been trying to implement the digital and improve the in-store experience in all their stores. So far they have had numerous initiatives, such as quick-serve items near the door entrance or putting products in the most logical places possible. Now the company has decided to take a step further.
The latest initiative Target has been implementing is an extension to their already existing app used to to tell the customers whether they have it on stock. According to a press release the app is a “beacon and Bluetooth technology that shows your location on the app’s map as you move throughout the store.”
Target gave the best possible description for it: “GPS for your shopping cart“. Simply explained, the app points towards the product you are looking for and helps you navigate through the store. What is more, it also offers you deals on products that you are close to.
The app enables you to create shopping lists and simply follow the app’s directions to get all you shopping done in no time. You may not need it for locating everything from your shopping list, but it will certainly come in handy when it comes to locating those not so easy to find products.
“This promises to make it easier than ever to find what you’re looking for, so you can fill up your cart and get on your way,” said Target Chief Digital Officer Mike McNamara.
Another positive aspect of implementing this app is that Target can easily drive online sales by suggesting products that are currently on sale and giving the customer an option to order that product from the website right away.
With this move, Target has removed the human interaction (or at least brought it to a minimum) by equipping their staff with the best technology possible. Still, there is now a concern of how easy it will be to find staff on their sales floor.
In general, this initiative is not going to change the in-store shopping completely, but it will definitely give greater convenience to the customer, which, in turn, will create more happy customers for Target.
Target is hoping to have this new technology installed in half of their stores before the holiday season.