Enhanced shopping

Abstract

This article investigates the prototypical implementation of a dynamic map of a retail store and the results of an empirical study in the shopping environment. Due to the distinct characteristics of the context of shopping (e.g. openness to the public, preexisting technologies), this context is particularly fruitful for UbiComp technologies. The prototype consists of a display showing an enhanced store map, which combines the dynamic visualization of customer activity (e.g. hot-spots, sales ranks) with conventional map elements (e.g. product locations, promotions). The results of our three-day in-situ study indicate the relevance and the usefulness of UbiComp technologies for shopping environments.