Like it or loathe it, retailers know that consumers yakking away on their cell phones while shopping is likely here to stay. That might not be such a bad thing, as a new technology promises to help retailers use cell phones to track the patterns and behaviors of in-store shoppers just as they would those who shop on the web.

In July, Infosys Technologies launched ShoppingTrip360, a platform which enables a suite of managed-information services to create a 360-degree view of real-time in-store shopper and shelf activity. When shoppers download an application to their cell phones, their behaviors and shopping habits can be measured with store heat maps, smart shelf pads and a network of tiny wireless sensors set up around the store.

“It’s like an Internet environment for the real world,” says Sandeep Dadlani, Infosys vice president and global head of sales, marketing and innovation for retail, CPG and logistics.

ShoppingTrip360 allows the retailer to look at unique and valuable data, like how many coupons were actually redeemed for certain promotions. Real-time information can also show where shoppers are at any point in time and how many shoppers are approaching particular products or displays.

Smart shelves, which track human and product movement around them, can help retailers determine whether the products are in the right location, if the shelves are out of stock and if there is enough spacing.

All information is aggregated on a series of dashboards that can be viewed on a retailer’s computer. The retailer also can set up alerts to be notified of certain shopper patterns and generate inventory flow reports on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Opt-in customer service
Infosys has been working with approximately 70 retailers over the past few years, crunching data from customer loyalty and POS systems. ShoppingTrip360 was developed to meet the requirements of those retail customers.

“They were looking for something new to understand the shopper and [her] interaction in the store,” Dadlani says. “It really gives them a 360-degree view into the shopping trip.”

ShoppingTrip360 is an opt-in service; customers must actively engage in the process and download the application to their cell phones. When the customer enters the store, she can enter her basket or cart number. The wireless network in the store associates the cart with the cell phone number, but the customer’s identity remains anonymous.

Retailers can promote the system by offering coupons and special deals for those who download the application, but shoppers will find more benefits to participating in the system than just discounts. They are able to maintain their shopping lists online and pull it up on their cell phones while in the store. As they walk around the store and trigger sensors, their lists will refresh to show the latest and greatest products in that section.

Still in pilot stage
Shoppers will also be able to check for promotions on certain products, download recipes, instructions and more information to help them make better informed purchasing decisions.

“It is designed in a way to make their lives more convenient without annoying the shoppers or invading their privacy,” Dadlani says. “They can keep coupons, create shopping lists and have all this information in one place.”

ShoppingTrip360 is still in its pilot stage. George Lawrie, principal analyst with Forrester Research, has seen the system in action, and says that the concept can not only be valuable for retailers but for manufacturers in validating their claims for trade funds. The fact that Infosys will initially provide the equipment and only charge for data and reporting “makes it extremely attractive for retailers,” he says.