Favendo’s concept of „Connected Commerce – Goethe four zero“ presented in September came now out on top in the idea contests “Digital Innovation” and “Digital platforms” organized by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics.
As lead manager the company with locations in Jena, Bamberg and San Francisco will point out together with other Thuringian innovation drivers at Jena’s Goethe Galerie how the benefits of online and stationary commerce can be combined with the help of “Location-based Services”. Goethe Galerie is located in the center of university city Jena and is home to 80 shops on a total selling space of more than 29.000 square meters. Hidden behind the expression „Location-based services“ are services, which provide customers with selective, bespoke information with the help of position dependent data – mostly on smart phones. Besides that they enable a lot of more benefits for customers and business owners. Commerce experts worldwide consider the mesh up of online and stationary commerce as the future: “In stationary commerce we mustn’t tread water. We know the new technologies and want to be part of the development up front”, Center manager Michael Holz explains why the shopping mall is joining the project. “It is highlevel to bring the proper information in the proper moment to the proper customer.” Among other things the consortium will realize an indoor-navigation with the assistance of Bluetooth-low-Energy transmitters, which will lead the visitors via map on the phone e.g. to the desired shop or barrier-free to the next baby-changing room. The visitor is also supposed to profit from bespoke offers, which will be provided on his phone via application. In return the merchant gets an overview about the customer’s purchasing and visiting behavior and will be enabled to attune his product range and service offers even more exactly to his customers’ needs.
The project is intended to be an innovation hub and test area for the future implementation in stationary commerce and is supported by means from the project funds “Digital Innovation” and “Digital platforms”, which are provided by the Thuringian Ministry of Economics, Science and Digital Society. Favendo project manager Martin Eckart: “We are very happy that we were able to get the Ministry interested in our concept. For us this is the possibility to install, develop and establish our systems and solutions in a real setting. And on top in our home town! We have the big chance to show how powerful Thuringia’s digital industry is”. Eckart considers digitalization as an all-embracing approach to cope with the challenges small merchants, but also infrastructure manager face through eCommerce. An inspection from the customer’s point of view is to be essential. Digital innovations which secure a high level of customer orientation are to be not only helpful but absolutely necessary. Favendo GmbH already is in command of wide-ranging experience in Location-based Services-Technology and has equipped various shopping malls especially in Europe with their technology. The latest concept distinguishes itself by combining all solutions in one project, says Eckart. Additionally to Goethe Galerie and selected retailers emgress GmbH, TDSoftware Gmbh and Kids Interactive take part in this lighthouse project. Apropos lighthouse, the common technical term used in Germany for the transmitters with which the shopping mall in the heart of Jena will be equipped is “Beacon”. The network compatible hardware which is necessary for the project’s realization is also produced in Thuringia.