Lost in the maze that is Indiranagar’s 100 ft Road? With the stretch turning into a bustling shopping and leisure destination, an app being piloted in the area aims to help customers and offline retailers connect with each other.
City-based start up Interaction One has launched Mobmerry, an app that promises product discovery, real-time notifications of new products, deals, and discounts in the consumers’ immediate area.
With as many as 200 beacons installed in Indiranagar, the makers claim it has made the area the first shopping district in India to be IoT-enabled (Internet of Things). Thirty well-known stores are said to be on board so far.
Explaining the logic behind the concept, Krishna Prasad, CEO and co-founder, Interaction One, told The Hindu that consumers today look up before they shop, but the retail merchant is not even on their consideration. “The first step is to build a platform to bring them online. One has to download the app and log into a location. We understand your tastes and preferences based on your Facebook profile. We will give you a list of things that are of interest to you,” Mr. Prasad explained.
If you have ‘liked’ something, then there are three options – the product is delivered to you, reserved until you can pick it up, or add it to your wish cart.
When you are in the vicinity, a reminder will be sent to you.
The focus as of now is on fashion and lifestyle. Apart from stores in Indiranagar, VR Bengaluru, an upcoming mall near Mahadevapura, has also been roped in for the pilot.
Vipul Mathur, Head Marketing, Lee, which is among the stores where beacons have been installed, said, “ As consumers today are embracing technology like never before, especially with their mobile phones becoming an integral extension of themselves, it’s imperative for the physical retail environment to adapt to this change.”
