Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Understanding the in-person shopping behaviour and experience of customers is crucial for the success of retailers, especially brick-and-mortar businesses. For many retailers, current customer data is fragmented across different channels, lacks sentiment analysis, has limited actionability and limited integration with existing business systems. Using sophisticated technologies, Press'nXPress (PXP) provides businesses with invaluable data on the shopping behaviour of customers. These data allow a business to make smart decisions to meet the needs and preferences of their shoppers; thereby, dramatically improving customer experience and helping establish customer loyalty. The global market for customer feedback management solutions such as those offered by PXP, is projected to grow from $11.34B USD in 2022 to $32.53B by 2029. PXP is looking to expand their offerings by developing a next-generation Customer Tracking and Behaviour Analysis Solution and has enlisted Fleming College's Centre for Advancement in Mechatronics and Industrial Internet of Things (CAMIIT) to lead the research and development of this new initiative. Working in collaboration with PXP, experts at CAMIIT will develop, test and implement a novel customer feedback management solution that will feature four new state-of-the-art features: 1) footfall analysis, which will use sensors to track the number of walk-ins, real-time occupancy, and consumer dwell time; 2) heatmap analysis, which will use the footfall information to monitor how customers move throughout the store, as well as their shopping behaviour; 3) demographic analysis, which will analyze general information about the customers, such as their gender and age; and 4) a novel automated self-checkout schema, which will use innovative wireless antenna topology to create a seamless shopping experience. Taken together, this proposed work will give companies valuable contextual and actionable in-moment data on their customer's journeys. This new solution will enhance PXP's position as a global leader in this field, as well as enable their clients to significantly improve customer satisfaction by creating an optimal shopping experience.