Sensors to optimise customer flow in stores
Simply browsing a store for the desired item is not efficient for the customer, and not very interesting for the trader. ULB spin-off and Belgian start-up Amoobi, from Nivelles, understands this.
Amoobi specialises in in-store consumer behaviour. The company has recently developed a technology based on optical sensors that automatically and anonymously record and analyse customer flows at the point of sale. What route does the customer take, how long do they linger in front of a certain shelf, which places do they practically ignore and where, on the other hand, do they queue? All this data is useful for optimising the layout of the sales area, so that the customer shops in a pleasant way and ... buys as much as possible. These sensors are proving very useful, especially in food, electronics and DIY stores. Well-known chains such as Delhaize, Carrefour, MediaMarkt, Makro, Walmart and Ikea are Amoobi customers.
Some branches of these distributors are used only as test locations. It also depends a lot on their size. Amoobi is proud to be the only one of the four to five suppliers of this technology in the world to have installed these sensors in large stores of 10,000 m2. And business is good! Current turnover is 2 to 3 million euros. A branch opened in the United States in 2019 and Amoobi is expecting strong growth potential there.
It is a major Belgian asset at a time when competition from e-commerce is a real challenge for traditional businesses.