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Geomarketing for retail at EuroCIS 2007
12/02/2007
"Where are my potential customers and how can I reach them most efficiently?"
Geomarketing means systematically developing the local knowledge which can be vital for retailers. Corner shop owners know their customers to a T - from liqueur for Mrs. Smith to fireworks for those unruly kids, they can rely on their customers and their creditworthiness. Modern chain stores have to gain this customer knowledge in other ways.
The entire spectrum of geomarketing, from distribution and site planning to customised stock ranges and locally optimised controlling, is for the first time being presented specifically for the retail sector at this year's EuroCIS, the International Trade Fair Communications, Information and Security Technology in Retail. Leading geomarketing companies from Germany and Austria such as infas GEOdaten, Lutum und Tappert, WIGeoGIS, CeGi as well as the Fraunhofer Institute IAIS from Sankt Augustin will join forces on a shared stand dedicated to the subject of geomarketing. The joint display is being organised and supported by science and technology development agency The Bonn Region - a Base for Science and Technology.
Many large companies already use geographic marketing as a matter of routine. Map-based analyses of sociodemographics, purchasing power by product, customer potential utilisation rates, chain optimisation, local sales forecasts as well as consumer and lifestyle addresses - by bringing together various local data, the aim is to target products precisely at consumers who are truly interested.
At EuroCIS 2007, SMEs and retailers will for the first time be given the chance to get to know the world of geomarketing. Smaller businesses in particular can profit from the affordable new solutions.
The Fraunhofer Institute IAIS has developed prototype software to carry out site and assortment planning for a Bonn-based chain of bakery stores, a medium-size family-owned business with over 30 shops. Choosing the right location for a bakery store influences the profitability of the store just as much as local competition and the store's range of bread, rolls and cake. In an area of town with a large number of multi-person households, a shop will sell more loaves. If it is located near to businesses, it will sell more snacks and, if a school is nearby, it will sell more sweets. Electronic maps containing local information on incomes, family sizes, pedestrian frequencies, links to public transport, available parking spaces and the location of competitors offer valuable geo-information which can underpin the selection of a site and reduce the investment risk. The project has demonstrated the potential geomarketing holds also for medium-size family-owned businesses.
A well-known sweets manufacturer also based in Bonn delivers an example of how a national sales network can be optimised with the aid of a geo-information system. The information on tap includes where sales reps live, density and quality of stores to be visited, established customer relationships and reachability. This not only improves planning of field staff deployment but also saves resources through more efficient route planning.
EuroCIS will also present the latest development in geo data use, the innovative project GEOeBIZ. Since the mass-market introduction of satellite navigation and the launch of Google Earth, it is generally accepted that geo information holds enormous potential for many sectors of industry and many areas of life. As generating, maintaining and analysing geo data is an expensive, time-consuming process and geo information dates quickly in a constantly changing world, the market has in the past been dominated by high-priced sales of large data and software packages to large companies. For many small and medium-sized businesses, this level of spending was often prohibitive.
The new project GEOeBIZ aims to promote the cost-effective development of specialist applications through billing services (Geo-eBusiness) and value-adding geo analysis services (Geobusiness Intelligence). The Geo-eBusiness functions include access control, billing, conditions of use and licence management by means of a roaming model transferred from the GSM mobile phone infrastructure. The Geobusiness Intelligence functions allow customised analyses of geo data.
Based on a roaming-capable geo data infrastructure (rGDI) which allows high-quality requests for information at low cost, small and medium-size companies can implement new business ideas using limited amounts of capital, equipment and personnel. Conversely, they open up new markets for geo data providers and portal operators, including local authorities and public bodies. The portals will allow customers to work with geographic data without the need for special know-how.
The innovative geomarketing applications on display at the dedicated EuroCIS stand (Hall 2, stand B 39) will be of particular interest to SMEs in Germany's Rhineland because this is also where the leading geomarketing providers are based -- concentrated in and around Bonn. Local SMEs will have a great opportunity to keep in touch with the latest tools for increasing efficiency on a location-specific basis.
EuroCIS 2007 will be open to trade visitors from 10am daily between Tuesday, 27 February 2007 and Thursday, 1 March 2007. On Tuesday and Thursday, the fair will close at 6pm. Wednesday is the "Day for SMEs” and the fair will remain open until 8pm. A one-day ticket costs EUR 20, and a two-day ticket EUR 35. Students and trainees pay EUR 10. For those who pre-order and register online at www.eurocis.com, the one-day ticket costs EUR 15 and the two-day ticket EUR 27, plus postage in each case. All admission tickets include free transport to and from the fair on the VRR public transport network. For more information about EuroCIS, visit www.eurocis.com.
Your press contact:
Dr. Cornelia Jokisch, Andrea Erps
Sonja Zimmermann
Tel.: +49 (0)211/4560-998/-997
Tel.: +49 (0)211/4560-999
Fax: +49 (0)211/4560-8548
E-mail: JokischC@messe-duesseldorf.de
ErpsA@messe-duesseldorf.de
ZimmermannS@messe-duesseldorf
February 2007
