Product • 17.09.2015
The smart way to search: Findbox GmbH presents mobile version of Findbox
The Findbox “to go” app guides customers straight to the product they need in-store
The ability to research product availability using a smartphone or tablet PC has long since ceased to be front page news, and has now become an accepted routine aspect of modern shopping.The IT experts at Findbox GmbH were quick to spot this development, and have now turned shopping into the ultimate smart experience: as well as looking up the price and availability, Findbox “to go” also tells you the fastest route to the store. Once inside, the LightGuide label is activated and leads you straight to the product you’re looking for on the shelf. Findbox will be showcasing this mobile search phenomenon at this year’s IFA in Berlin.
Using the Findbox web application, shoppers on the move are guided quickly and directly to specific products. This latest development from the Ettenheim-based firm links into the stationary Findbox system installed in retail outlets. With the add-on of a mobile version, the system now provides an all-round solution for customers and retailers. From the spring of 2016, customers will be able to find products quickly and conveniently by using their smartphone. Particularly when searching among products offering a large choice of brands and models, finding exactly the right item can sometimes be a trying ordeal. Printer cartridges are a classic example. Even if customers have the foresight to take in the old cartridge, it can often take minutes to spot the exact model they are looking for. This is where Findbox comes in: The old product is simply placed on the tray and scanned, after which a light signal indicates the right shelf position immediately. This same principle has now been transferred to a mobile app.
The “to go” version is slightly different but offers the same amazing operating simplicity: Just open the browser and enter the model number of the printer or code for the required printer cartridge in Google, start the search and select the Findbox result. Just a click shows you all the relevant information on the product you are looking for on the screen of your mobile phone or tablet. If the price is right, the user can choose to display nearby stores which currently have the cartridge in stock. The display will show nearby retailers which have a stationary Findbox system installed. Once you pick a store, Google Maps will pop up with the fastest route, and show you the quickest possible way to the product. What makes this system unique: Once you arrive in-store, the LightGuide label is activated, guiding you directly to the precise shelf location using a light signal. But printer cartridges are not the only items you can source on the move using the Findbox “to go”. The Findbox makes perfect sense for locating a whole range of product categories such as screws, light bulbs, batteries and many more using a smart mobile device.Smart support for retailers
Sold out of a particular product and need to order more? The Findbox web app allows staff to simply place an order using a smartphone standing in front of the shelf. Stacking shelves also becomes child’s play using the app: If stackers are unable to locate a product slot, all they need to do is scan the article barcode with their smartphone, and the relevant price tag lights up. Findbox not only saves customers hassle and time spent searching for products, it also speeds up the job for staff in-store, allowing them to use their resources more usefully elsewhere and spend time offering customers the best possible service.
Source: Findbox GmbH
channels: services, signage systems