Customers are looking for guidance in a store, but they don’t want to be patronized and told what to do. Yet they all have different needs. Some want consulting services while others just want to look around. Some want help in their search while others prefer to find the way to the right shelf without the help of store associates. That’s why it makes sense to have a well-thought-out combination of different supports.

In October the digital signage system by dimedis was awarded the “Best Practice Award“ at the viscom 2011 in the “guiding signage” category. Since March 2011 the software has been at work in the “Schlosshöfe“ shopping center in Oldenburg, operated by ECE. In our interview, Master of Science in Computer Science Birgit Poppke presents numbers on the use by customers. She explains why Smartphones and kiosk terminals are not in competition with each other and how you can combine digital signage with coupons.

Oliver Hanna, managing director of the shopping center ALEXA in Berlin, talks about the Blind-Guiding System of the shopping center, that allows blind and visually impaired customers a special kind of orientation. But not only the technique for a barrier-free shopping experience is provided. All associates in each store in dealing with blind and visually impaired customers are prepared as well.