By Judith Lee

If you’re a shopper, you might have received a special offer on your smartphone, just exactly when you were entering a store or in the store browsing merchandise. If you haven’t had this experience, you will in 2016.

Last year, 46 percent of retailers adopted Beacon technology that enables the retailer to see where shoppers are and send them an offer on their iPhone or Android phone just as they enter a specific store or are shopping there.

Among retailers, Beacons have been a topic excitement and discussion ever since they were introduced as iBeacons by Apple in 2013. When Samsung introduced the capability for Android devices in 2015, Beacon has really taken off.

What is Beacon technology?

This is Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) wireless technology that creates a different way of providing location-based information to Apple and Android smartphones.

How does it work?

The Beacons themselves are small, cheap Bluetooth transmitters. Apps installed on your phone listen out for the signal transmitted by these beacons and respond accordingly when the phone comes into range. Samsung’s Beacon platform enables Beacons even if you don’t have the retailer’s app on your phone.

If you pass a Beacon in a shop, the retailer can display a special offer alert for you. On a visit to a museum, the museum’s app would provide information about the closest display, using your distance from beacons placed near exhibits to work out your position. As such, Beacon could be a much better option for in-door mapping – which GPS struggles with.

Why are retailers embracing Beacons?

Beacons create a powerful link between a shopper’s physical and digital journeys. Consumers frequently make final decisions in-store, and retailers will now be able to recognize and reach these shoppers on their mobile devices with promotions to close a sale.

Furthermore, customers’ in-store shopping patterns will be available as larger pools of data are collected and analyzed.

What’s ahead for Beacons?

Retailers are expected to have 3.5 million Beacons installed within 2 years. Also, some 74% of retailers believe that developing a more engaging in-store experience is going to be business critical, so there’s no doubt that Beacons are very much here to stay.

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Judith Lee is a marketing and communications professional who focuses on social media and email marketing based in Atglen. She is a SCORE Volunteer and the Chair-Elect of the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce. Her posts on marketing and social media are a regular Monday morning feature on VISTA Today. She can be reached at 610-368-2058 or via email at judithlee@epix.net.