App will find best way round a supermarket

The system would enable the user to work out their quickest and most economical route in a supermarket, alerting them to offers and product updates on the way.

RNF Digital Innovation has secured a £500,000 grant from the Technology Strategy Board, the UK’s Innovation Agency, to develop the navigation service using smartphones, tablets and i-beacons that can be used across a range of businesses including supermarkets and hospitals.

A further £202,000 investment will come through RNF and its project partners, the Bestway Group, Aston University and the University of Lincoln, who will provide technical and research support for the project.

Rob Mannion, RNF’s managing director, said: “This system will allow us to deploy and utilise i-beacons in a way never seen before, enabling the creation of a user experience far in advance of what is currently available.”

Dr Patrick Dickinson, from the School of Computer Science at Lincoln University, said: “We are really excited to be working on this project, which will exploit these services to enable market-leading mobile apps, and new and uniquely personalised experiences for Bestway customers.

“Shoppers will be able to use an intelligent location-sensitive app which integrates with their shopping trip. “It will combine their preferences and previous shopping behaviour with information about the store they are visiting, to plan their unique experience in real-time, alert them to points of interest, resulting in a more productive and enjoyable visit.”

Jamil Mohammed, group e-commerce manager at Bestway Group, said: “This project represents a fantastic opportunity to take our consumer experience to a new level of interaction. By embracing i-beacon technology throughout our network of UK stores and depots, we will be able to offer our customers a unique retail experience.”

For more information about the project visit www.rnfdigital.com.