iBeacon

Macy’s this week announced it is expanding its iBeacon partnership with Shopkick to roll out 4000 additional iBeacons to retail locations across the US. Last November, the partnership was announced along with a trial of the technology at the department store’s NYC and San Francisco flagship locations. iBeacons use Bluetooth LE to trigger micro-location specific services and actions on your phone. Once you have the Shopkick app on your phone (iOS or Android 4.3+) and enter a Macy’s, you are presented with notifications about the merchandise in the department you are entering, including sales or items you have previously “liked.” View Shopkick’s video past the break that explains how Macy’s utilizes iBeacons. In addition to expanding the roll out of iBeacons, Macy’s formally announced that it is planning to support Apple Pay and plans to release more information in October. These announcements come as Macy’s is trying to improve its shopping experience, with new apps and services such as same day online-order pickup.