Retail in Asia

In Trends

Singapore mall trials Beacon-based indoor positioning technology

Singapore shopping mall 313@somerset has its eyes set on Beacon-based Indoor Positioning, the latest in retail innovation that enable shoppers to receive hyper-targeted messages, deals and other content based on their proximity inside the mall.

As a forerunner in the adoption of new and emerging technologies, 313@somerset is going to be the first commercial outlet in Singapore to test the potential of Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) Beacons for retailers.

In partnership with Asia’s leading location-based shopping platform Sprooki, the mall conducted tests in the form of short experiential tours around the mall. Exclusive test groups were invited to take part in the trials.

The trials were designed to give shoppers an immersive firsthand experience of the BLE features. It also helped 313@somerset understand the viability and experience of BLE Beacons, a technology compatible with an estimated 49 percent of Singapore smartphone users.

Selected 313@somerset retailers across fashion, lifestyle and F&B categories participated in the tests with Beacons being installed at specific points across different floors and positions within the mall.

The mall’s existing mobile app (powered by Sprooki’s platform), Tring 313, was also upgraded to be compliant with BLE Beacon technology, including Apple’s iBeacon, to deliver a more authentic taste of what this indoor positioning technology what the app can potentially do for both shoppers and retailers.

Developed in partnership with Sprooki, Tring 313 is a location-based mobile app that consolidates offers and deals exclusive to 313@somerset. When a customer is within the vicinity of the mall, the app alerts shoppers with “push notifications” that offer news, deals, and promotions in the form of “coupons”.

It was the first retail mobile app in Singapore then to be equipped with location-based technology and m-commerce capabilities, and has since won two Mobile Excellence (Mob-Ex) Awards in 2013 for Best Location-based Marketing and Best mCommerce Platform.

“Proximity matters to multi-channel retailers. However, precise location detection and hyper-targeted messaging has been a challenge indoors,” said Claire Mula, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Sprooki. “BLE Beacons changes the game for multi-channel retailers, bringing the best of location targeting and web-like analytics to both retailers and shoppers, providing those who want it, with a more relevant and information-rich shopping experience.”

Beacon-based Indoor Positioning uses battery-operated Beacon devices, the size of a thumb-drive, to emit low-energy Bluetooth signals with an identifier for that particular Beacon.

These signals communicate directly with BLE Bluetooth compatible devices, such as a smartphone or tablet. Beacons themselves do not track devices; they emit a signal to the device to do something.

An app is required for a mobile device to ‘see’ a Beacon. When placed throughout the mall or store, BLE Beacons are detected by shoppers’ mobile devices, provided their Bluetooth and Location Services preferences are turned on.

Shoppers, who have the Tring 313 app (beta version) and opted in, may subsequently receive alert notifications within one to five meters from the nearest Beacon.

A much tighter range compared to the current Tring 313 app, which utilizes a mix of GPS, cell tower triangulation and Wi-Fi access points to alert shoppers within a 50m to 400m radius outside the mall.

“The line between in-store and online will continue to blur with the growing demands for a seamless shopping experience across platforms. Closed beta group testing is in place as we speak, to gauge how intuitive the new Tring 313 experience is, and how shoppers engage with the new Indoor Positioning technology," said Cheryl Goh, General Manager of 313@somerset.