Macy's Bets Big On Beacons

By Matt Pillar, chief editor

When Terry Lundgren speaks, the retail industry listens. Lundgren just spoke, and what he said serves as the biggest boon yet for the fledgling iBeacon technology. When the Macy’s CEO said his company “will continue to test, to learn, and to proceed aggressively with new ideas that excite our customers and that make shopping more convenient and fun,” on Monday, he was speaking about the retailer’s announcement that by the end of the month, 4,000 Macy’s stores across the nation will have rolled out shopBeacon technology in partnership with shopkick. That marks the largest rollout of iBeacon technology in the retail industry to date, and it more than doubles the shopkick install base (from 3,500 to 7,500) in one fell swoop.

Macy’s big bet is well supported and well-timed. With the recent release of Apple’s iPhone 6, the 70% of U.S. consumers who own smartphones will assuredly continue to grow, as will the 57% of consumers who say they use their smartphones as shopping aids while in stores (figures according to recent research from CFI Group).

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