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May 5, 2020
At Albert Heijn supermarket in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, shoppers can use the indoor navigation integrated into the ‘Find my product’ app to shop swiftly and safely
When we walk around a new city or neighborhood, we unlock our smartphones to start our favorite map app. Then we set the destination and let the system calculate the best way. All we need to do is follow the digital path (and of course, watch for cars when crossing the road). No more getting lost, no more taking roundabout routes.
Turns out, this line of thinking can work equally well for the weekly shopping trip. It just requires a little ingenuity and connected lighting.
In response to an enlightening piece of consumer research, Albert Heijn, the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, asked for Signify’s help in making its customers shopping trip smarter.
Signify’s solution, installed in the Dutch town of Hoofddorp, connects the Interact Retail Indoor navigation system to Albert Heijn’s product database. The ‘Find my Product’ app then makes it possible to locate every item sold in the store to within 30 cm. No more circling the aisles looking for glass noodles or baking powder.
The app works by allowing shoppers to use their front camera to ‘read’ the unique code emitted by every light point in the store. This provides the location of the shopper, which the app sets against the location of the product to determine your route.
And, by creating a shopping list, customers can then follow a dynamic route on a digital map that takes them to every product, one after another, using the shortest route. Having a clear path to follow can also reduce the risk of impulse shopping, meaning it’s easier to stay on task, get out quicker, and have only the items you planned to buy in your basket or cart.
Business and marketing initiatives can also benefit from the system, since it provides retailers with location analytics such as dwell time, footfall and density. “This technology truly offers infinite possibilities” says Steven de Kroes, Format Developer at Albert Heijn, in this video.
Steven de Kroes
Format developer at Albert Heijn
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. With 2019 sales of EUR 6.2 billion, we have approximately 38,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been named Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for three years in a row. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.
