Retailers can attract more customers with innovative in-store technology. This is the most important conclusion of the study ‘More to More to My Shop’ by the Store Innovation Lab of the Applied Sciences University of Amsterdam.

In order to test the added value of many innovative store technologies in practice, the SIA RAAK SME survey began three years ago. More visitors to my store. In this project, researchers at the Store Innovation Lab looked at the effectiveness of four promising technologies: interactive screens in the shop window, location-specific messaging, an AR screen, and a mobile savings system with which customers can collect loyalty points using an app Can.

Of the four technologies tested, a mobile savings system proved particularly promising: the entertainment and personalization of the mobile loyalty app significantly contributed to the bonding with store and customer intentions.

However, the use of innovative store technology is often very careful. An interactive screen in the shop window turned out to attract additional attention, but passers-by first had to be made aware of the screen’s existence. And the app, which alerted regular customers to in-store promotions with push-up messages, caused a major loss in behavior: the majority of the target group was unwilling to install a new app on their mobiles.

Whether a retailer actually gets more visitors with researched technologies, however, strongly depends on direct benefits for customers. An AR application that gave passers-by a 360-degree film of the pastry chef’s kitchen helped them spark interest in cookies. Surprisingly, AR images had little effect on intention to walk into the store. Probably the curiosity or information needs of potential customers were already satisfied outside the store.

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