Swirl transforms the in-store shopping experience

Despite the ability to get most items imaginable through online shopping, there's still a big market for physical stores with brick and mortar sales accounting for more than 90 percent of retail sales. Even tech-savvy Millennials are doing their shopping in real life, "as long as retailers keep their offerings fresh and interesting," according to a recent report from Urban Land Institute.

A new app aims to help retailers reinvent the in-store shopping experience by engaging with customers, in real time, while they shop.

Similar to the way online stores can give you a personalized shopping experience, Swirl, the new in-store marketing platform, provides shoppers with customized recommendations and deals.

The way it works is retailers install Bluetooth sensors in their stores. When the Bluetooth device detects a Swirl user, relevant offers and recommendations are sent to the user.

Among the first retailers to use the technology in their stores are Alex and Ani, Timberland, and Kenneth Cole.

"As Timberland looks to engage a younger, more style-conscious consumer, we need creative marketing solutions that keep up with this consumer's digital lifestyle," said Jim Davey, a Timberland executive, in a statement. "We think Swirl creates a really exciting way to enhance the shopping experience for our customers, on their terms. It also gives us valuable, real-time insights so we can hone in on – and better serve – our customers' needs."

Maybe now retailers can do away with tracking you on your smartphone without any benefits.

Image: Swirl

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com