• Pilot project to validate IoT use cases
• Light provides infrastructure for innovative in-store customer experiences
• Use of existing light installations cuts investment costs

The international lighting company Zumtobel Group, a leading player in the field of innovative lighting solutions and components, is joining forces with E.Leclerc Langon, a hypermarket of the major France retail chain, to launch a pilot project to make the vision of the “Internet of Light” a reality in retail stores. The two companies will work with partners to validate innovative Internet of Things (IoT) use cases in the E.Leclerc Hypermarché branch in Langon – in areas including indoor location, smart parking, mobile push marketing and virtual customer assistance. During this project a major focus is on the business value of the use cases.

New value to be unlocked by smart lighting infrastructure 
The existing lighting infrastructure, with sensors integrated in luminaires will allow new services to be offered through a customer app. The Zumtobel Group and E.Leclerc Langon will be supported in the project implementation by ecosystem partners active in location-based services and parking management.

“We believe that light is predestined to be the infrastructure for applications in the Internet of Things. The Internet of Light can create completely new customer experiences and services in retail stores. The new E.Leclerc Langon pilot project reveals the spectrum of opportunities created by connected lighting. The importance of light is growing for retailers – as an important cornerstone for the optimal presentation of goods and as an enabler of shopping experiences”, says Stephane Vasse, Head of IoT Business Development, Zumtobel Group, summing up the pilot project.

“What is special about this project is the cooperation between multiple partners who share the same vision: transforming brick-and-mortar stores into modern and interactive stores where customers experience a whole new way of shopping – all this with the help of connected lighting. Together we will create greater customer loyalty and satisfaction, based on the Internet of Light,” says Alain Laffourge, Président Directeur Général of E.Leclerc Langon describing the collaboration and the project.

New use-cases made possible by the Internet of Light 
The IoT use cases will offer retailers a way to connect with their customer and take their digitalization to the next level. The new service possibilities and ease created by the Internet of Light enables ways for retailers to interact more with their customers. Innovative concepts are needed that offer customers an optimal shopping atmosphere in the retail store. This includes services to help in the search for a parking spot or a specific area in the hypermarket, online assistance or the option to request personal assistance as well as product recommendations and real-time information on special offers delivered to the smartphone. 

Using existing light installations cuts investment costs 
The existing lighting infrastructure can easily be used to implement new application like location-based services not only to reduce the cost of the necessary investment, but also to ensure rapid return on investment. The entire building and grounds are not only provided with optimal and energy-efficient lighting, but at the same time the infrastructure offers the basis for new, data-based services – made possible by technologies such as the Bluetooth beacons integrated in Zumtobel and Thorn luminaires. Through the mapped beacons, customer can locate their positions via the customer app and E.Leclerc Langon can offer new services like sending real-time push messages with customised offers, based on their preferences or their current location in the store. And in the car park, the app can help a customer to locate available parking spots – or even find their way back to their car when they have finished shopping.

“The approach of Zumtobel Group towards IoT – creating an integrated solution with ecosystem partners really centered around us and our customers – is the only way to move from hype to real value”, says Alain Laffourge Président Directeur Général of E.Leclerc Langon. “We are excited to continue our cooperation to validate and quantify the benefits of these use cases in the coming months.”