Euclid goes ‘freemium’ with Express store analytics

Express allows retailers to install and start collecting data on shopper movements free of charge. The company’s software tracks the wi-fi signals given off by mobile phones in order to build up a picture of consumer behaviour in and around a store.

The firm’s privacy policy explains that it “collects only basic device information that is broadcast by wi-fi enabled phones. This does not include any sensitive data such as who you are, whom you call, or the websites you visit”.

Metrics covered by the free package include visits, visit duration, engagement, bounce rate, repeat visits and customer recency. The Advanced product, meanwhile, delivers insights around marketing ROI, store performance and customer profiles, Euclid said.

The move comes after a year in which location privacy found itself in the spotlight, with lawmakers pushing for tougher rules governing the collection of this sort of information.

Euclid itself was pulled up by Senator Al Franken in a letter that berated the company’s opt-out policy, with Franken pushing to make the collection of location data opt-in only.

Later in the year, Euclid was one of a number of firms to commit to a code of conduct that sought to calm fears over the technology. Senator Charles Schumer – once an advocate for opt-in only data collection – worked with the Future of Privacy Forum to develop the guidelines, which requires companies to notify consumers when location tracking is taking place and to provide them with the information they need to opt out.

Retailers might be forgiven for being hesistant in adopting in-store analytics, given the scrutiny the technology has received. Does this explain Euclid’s decision to go freemium? CEO Will Smith (pictured) said that isn’t the case. “We wouldn’t call it hesitancy towards in-store analytics; in fact, it’s the opposite, where the interest to get analytics is huge. The questions and latency are all around, ‘How do I get started and how do I orient my business around being more data-savvy?’”

As Smith sees it, by removing the costs, Euclid lowers the barrier to entry. “The free version allows customers to get acquainted with the technology and its impact quickly and easily, and then expand to Advanced at the pace of their business readiness,” he says.