AEON, SoftBank Telecom, and Yahoo! announced on November 20th that they will offer a new shopping experience that makes full use of ICT, starting with the grand opening of the AEON Makuhari New City store on December 20th.
The basis of this is the omnichannel approach, which integrates channels (customer touchpoints) such as stores, e-commerce sites, email, and SMS, and provides customers with a shopping experience through each channel. The main initiatives the three companies will be undertaking are as follows: 1. Strengthening collaboration with the "Ultra Customer Attraction" service provided by SoftBank Telecom and Yahoo! 2. Launching a unique app called "Take a Photo! Info" (tentative name), which displays recipes by simply pointing a smartphone camera at a product POP or similar display. 3. Launching the "WAON Service App," which makes using WAON, Japan's No. 1 electronic money, even more enjoyable. 4. Providing the "AEON Wi-Fi" service, which allows customers to use the internet for free in-store.
1. AEON utilizes "Ultra Customer Attraction," an O2O service system that supports client companies' sales promotion activities and promotes store customer traffic, as well as the newly offered "WAON Service App." Customers can use these services to issue coupons, which can then be redeemed at "Happy Gate" terminals installed in-store, offering a variety of benefits. By linking "Yahoo! Shopping" with physical stores, the company aims to strengthen customer attraction both online and offline.
2. is an application that provides customers with an "experience" experience. This is a new feature of AEON's "AEON Shopping" app, displaying recipes simply by holding a smartphone over a POP display for eligible groceries.
3. is an application that allows users to access features such as WAON shopping and recharge history, point balance, various campaign information, and map information for WAON member stores from their smartphones. In addition, it offers games such as "App de Bingo," electronic scratch cards, and New Year's fortune-telling, as well as coupons and other information linked to Yahoo! Search.
4. is a service provided in collaboration with SoftBank Telecom. Going forward, the service is scheduled to be rolled out to other group stores, including general merchandise stores and supermarkets nationwide. Additionally, the "Touch Get" service, which allows customers to order products not available in-store using the in-store terminal "A touch Ru*Run," will be launched in the liquor, home fashion, and baby products categories. The three companies will continue to cooperate, utilizing ICT from a new perspective to promote the fusion of the real world and the internet.
