Department store and IoT - customer traffic analytics with cellular connectivity

Parco uses Soracom cellular connectivity to learn more about customer traffic and behaviour

ABOUT

Parco, a chain of department stores, wanted to gather real-time data on customer behaviour and traffic, including each individual’s location, to better inform their sales and marketing initiatives.

CHALLENGE

As a retail business, Parco needed to find a connectivity solution that was cost-effective so they can stay competitive.

In addition, due to the fact that they were working with personal information collected from their consumers, it was paramount that the connectivity they chose was secure.

In an event held at Parco Museum, Parco decided to use Soracom cellular connectivity to create a consumer analysis system that gathered information on visitors using images from camera sensors.*

* Only the image sensing is transmitted from the sensor to the external system. Once the system senses a customer, the specific data is discarded, protecting consumer identity.

SOLUTION

Parco chose Soracom to power their project because installing SORACOM Air SIM cards doesn’t require prior equipment. Plus, they can connect virtually anywhere. In addition, Parco found that cellular connectivity is far more secure than Wi-Fi.

By using the SORACOM Beam data transfer service, the cloud converts the protocol from http to https, and sends the gathered information to Amazon API Gateway.

SORACOM BEAM reduces power and data needs, allowing devices to connect to the cloud without relay servers. It can manage credentials at scale as well, helping to streamline projects that involve multiple devices.

Plus, SORACOM Beam has a custom header function that allows the cloud side to need a authentication token to access AWS.

Employing SORACOM Beam enabled Parco to safely access AWS without requiring an authentication key for each device, saving them significant time and money.

WHY SORACOM

Parco chose Soracom cellular connectivity because it provided them with secure cellular connectivity and comprehensive authentication that could be easily implemented at a reasonable cost.

FUTURE PLANS

Parco plans on expanding their consumer analytics system for future marketing initiatives, including a customer tier analysis for each visitor and a way to more accurately track each customer’s route within the department store.