Staying connected around the store

Even the most engaged and hands-on owner or manager can’t always greet and advise every customer who walks through the door.

For retailers who wish they could personally welcome every customer and offer suggestions for featured products without trying the be everywhere at once, Bluetooth “beacons” are making it possible to remotely communicate with patrons via wireless technology. The beacons function by connecting with customers through an app on Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and can deliver messages, videos and other alerts when shoppers are near certain products or displays.

Beacons are used at Scheiderer Farms in Marysville, Ohio, to demonstrate product uses and point out the personal favorites of co-owner Candi Scheiderer. Beacons near flower beds will “ping” nearby customers’ phones and show them a video explaining what varieties can be found in the display bed. Scheiderer says the technology also helps simplify customer check-out.

“The other way we use it up at the cash register for people to check out,” Scheiderer says. When customers enter the store, they are given a check-out number that is used when they complete their purchase, which saves Scheiderer from having to assign one and enter it manually. The Bluetooth signal emitters can also track the number of times customers visit the store with the app enabled, in a process known as “checking in”. Repeat customers can earn rewards through repeat check-ins with the app. Scheiderer says she offers coupons and gift cards for loyal regulars, and tracking rewards is made simple with the beacon technology.

Despite signage around the store and a notice about the app on her website, Scheiderer says the beacons have been slow to catch on for the majority of her customers, but those who use Bluetooth-enabled devices often tend to enjoy the functionality. Though she says the new technology in her store hasn’t been shown to noticeably impact profits, Scheiderer thinks the use of beacons could have the potential to drive better customer service and engagement.

“Is this going to help the bottom line? I don’t know,” Scheiderer says. “The proof will be later. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to measure it, but I do think that it fascinates people and it makes them think that we are on top of our game.”

When considering investment in Bluetooth beacons, Scheiderer says retailers would do well to view them as a value-added experience for customers instead of as a profit center. The new medium of wireless communication could be a way for independent garden centers to connect effectively with Millennials and other techno-centric consumers.

“It’s the experience, really. I never believed from the beginning that it would help my bottom line, except in that young people who I’m trying to connect more with consider that a valuable asset. They think it’s cool … I think it’s only going to get bigger from here.”