Ahold Delhaize have deployed OpenRoaming Wi-Fi roaming technology in all their stores in Belgium. The retailer wanted to boost Wi-Fi security and coverage and increase the take up of their loyalty apps.
OpenRoaming provided a secure Wi-Fi experience for customers. They did not need to log-in when they went into any of retailer’s outlets. Delhaize partnered with Cisco to deploy WBA’s ‘OpenRoaming’ Wi-Fi roaming technology and the benefits are greater customer loyalty and a ton of first party data collection.
The data collected through this technology provides valuable insights into customer behaviour and preferences, allowing Delhaize to improve their, services, operations and customer loyalty.
Before deploying OpenRoaming, one of the challenges that Delhaize faced was a gap of signal in shops. There were always some blank spots that may have no signal even for 4G connectivity. This brought inconvenience to customers while they were shopping or using their loyalty apps at the shops. Even though Delhaize had a captive portal based on a guest Wi-Fi system, it was not user-friendly for customers to use because MAC address randomization built into modern smartphones required occasional reconnection via the captive portal.
Customers no longer have to worry about losing signal or having to manually connect to the Wi-Fi network every time they visit a Delhaize store. This not only improves the in-store experience for customers but also helps to increase engagement with Delhaize’s loyalty apps and other digital offerings.
Key benefits to Ahold Delhaize and their customers
- Resolving customers’ connectivity and Wi-Fi authentication challenges by offering automatic and secure Wi-Fi through WBA OpenRoaming.
- Analyzing user data to improve the customer experience and optimize store operations. This includes understanding the frequency and duration of store visits, usage of self-checkout kiosks, and identifying peak hours.
- Expanding business opportunities by offering secure Wi-Fi, which allows Delhaize to gather valuable data on customer behavior and preferences through their loyalty program apps.
- Enhancing the Wi-Fi experience by providing innovative services that make the lives of customers and staff easier.
In the future, OpenRoaming can enable Delhaize to engage with customers through real-time promotions and communications.
The big takeaway for retailers is that in a connected world, ensuring customers can connect to the Internet in-store ensures your digital investments can be fully utilised while at the same time delighting customers.
