After a one-year trial in Nijmegen, Hornbach introduced a new navigation feature to its smartphone app, which is now available for use in all 18 of its DIY stores in the Netherlands. The app uses a digital map to guide customers to the aisle, shelf and shelf level where the item they are looking for is located. The feature has been available in the Netherlands since yesterday.
The DIY store operator has been trialling the navigation system in its store in Nijmegen for a year. The company aims to make it easier for customers to find their way around its large stores. The solution is also intended to ease the workload of staff.
“They can see at a glance where they need to go and head straight for the item they want,” says Jochem van Breda, Processes and Projects Manager at Hornbach Netherlands. This means that customers don’t have to wander around the shelves aimlessly or ask a member of staff for assistance.
A barcode marks the starting point
First, users select the item they want in the Hornbach app and tap the ‘Route’ button. They then scan the barcode of a nearby product so that the app can determine their starting point. A map showing the route to the item they are looking for then appears on their smartphone.
According to Hornbach, customers at the Nijmegen pilot store have responded positively to the navigation feature. Some shoppers have said that it was one of the reasons they installed the app. The free app also enables customers to scan items themselves and pay via QR code.
