We previously wrote about the requirements for using beacons in vending machines. There’s a new thought provoking article on Kiosk Marketplace on Are kiosks ready for today’s exciting digital technologies?
The article talks about using beacons to promote consumer interaction, track customer shopping patterns and offer rewards but stops short of providing some scenarios and explaining some of the technical possibilities.
Imagine approaching a kiosk and it automatically knowing who you are and providing one touch (or zero touch) vending of your favourite drink or snack. You are billed automatically and you accrue loyalty points. For the merchandiser, think about extra things you could do (or know) if you could target your top customers and offer them frictionless service. These things are possible using beacons.
Depending on what you need to do, the beacon can be in the kiosk or (or and) with the user. If it’s with the user it can be a physical beacon or an app advertising as a beacon. Some scenarios need more functionality or security than is provided with just Bluetooth advertising. In these cases, it’s possible to connect to the beacon via Bluetooth GATT to store or view data.
If you need more help then view our articles or consider a feasibility study.