Experian FootFall, Walkbase, Simplestream,NHK WORLD TV,

The British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) @BCSCretailprop has partnered with global retail intelligence expert, Experian FootFall, to produce a monthly footfall monitor, highlighting shopper traffic across UK shopping centres.

The monitor, which will drill down in to consumer shopping patterns each month, will enable retailers and the retail property industry to better understand customer behavior through the analysis of footfall trends; data that is becoming ever more important due to the ongoing debates surrounding the changing nature of retail.

  

In the approach and immediate aftermath of the General Election, this data will shine a light on the continued demand for shopping destinations as part of the ‘Great British Retail’ mix and highlight the significance of the retail property industry’s ongoing contribution to the UK economy.

Edward Cooke, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC), said:

“Our industry continues to demonstrate its ability to adapt to the recent trends in retail. 

A true understanding of how consumers are shopping, how and when they use physical space to browse, purchase or pick up and what this means for the future of shopping places will further enable the UK retail property sector to evolve.

Walkbase, a provider of in-store analytics for airports and retailers, today announced that it achieved record-breaking growth during 2014, reaching EUR 5M in funding and successfully opening new offices across Europe. The company also saw increased customer traction with 30 new clients added to its portfolio across top retail chains and airports.

In addition to the funding and customer traction, Walkbase has deployed over 2000 sensors in close to 300 stores and analysed over 50 million customers by the end of last year. In 2014, the company opened new offices in London and Helsinki, Finland – and tripled its employee-base.

Mirroring how web analytics platforms have revolutionised online shopping experiences, the Walkbase platform uses real-time in-store data to improve customer experience – helping the high-street “dinosaur” bite back. Using indoor location technology in brick-and-mortar stores and airports, it allows retailers to measure people flow patterns and engage smartphone-wielding customers with personalised location-based services.

As well as improving customer experience, the platform provides tools for analysing, measuring and optimising the impact of marketing in physical spaces, and linking the online and offline customer journeys together. The insight creates significant value in improving campaign ROI, key conversions, and store layouts. For retailers this means engaging loyal customers with personalised in-store marketing, and turning physical stores into digital advertising spaces.

“Last year was an extremely busy year for us at Walkbase and saw the company achieve phenomenal customer traction, European expansion and treble our employee base. I’m incredibly proud of what the whole team has achieved,” said CEO and Co-Founder of Walkbase, Tuomas Wuoti. “While the last year has been hugely successful, 2015 is set to be even stronger – with new products to be launched later this year and customers to be announced, we expect the coming year to be a defining one for Walkbase.”

The solution takes advantage of existing store hardware such as Wi-Fi and door counters, to improve returns on existing investments.

Japan International Broadcasting, the distribution company of NHK, and Simplestream, the United Kingdom’s leading provider of live streaming and CatchupTV solutions for the broadcast and media industry, announce today a new partnership which brings NHK WORLD TV  to live TV streaming service TVPlayer.

 NHK WORLD TV is a stand-alone, 24-hour, English-language television news and lifestyle network produced by NHK, Japan’s sole public, independent broadcaster. The Japanese channel is currently available in 280 million households worldwide and in more than 150 countries and regions.

“Simplestream has become one of the most exciting media companies in Europe,” said Yoshihiko Shimizu, President and CEO, Japan International Broadcasting. “We are delighted to partner with them to deliver a variety of top quality and compelling international news and entertainment via their TVPlayer platform in the United Kingdom.” 

NHK WORLD TV provides a 24-hour programming cycle, including the network’s signature news show, “NEWSLINE,” as well as a vast selection of technology, lifestyle and entertainment programmes, including “J-TECH,” “great gear,” “TOKYO FASHION EXPRESS,” “Kawaii International,” “SPORTS JAPAN,” and “Go, Kitchen, GO!.” In addition, the channel offers shows focusing on various perspectives on world financial affairs, such as “ASIAN VOICES,” “Asia This Week” and “ASIA BIZ FORECAST.”