Retail is evolving rapidly and businesses are turning to location technology to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations. In our recent webinar, How Location Intelligence Accelerates Retail Growth, Mapbox retail experts Jack Williams and Åsa Forsell discussed retail’s biggest challenges and demonstrated how Mapbox tools are providing solutions.

Tackling retail challenges with location technology

The retail landscape faces two primary challenges: customer-facing issues and internal operations. Jack highlighted critical pain points like low order completion rates, delivery delays, and the necessity of a seamless omnichannel experience — all of which directly impact customer satisfaction and loyalty. Internally, the focus is on efficient order fulfillment, accurate site selection, and streamlined delivery logistics.

Leveraging Mapbox for retail

Åsa and Jack showcased five common use cases where Mapbox solutions are making a difference in the retail industry, significantly enhancing the customer experience and operational efficiency. They also previewed two exciting tools the team is currently working on.

Use case 1: Enhance store locators

Jack explained how Mapbox equips retailers, like T-mobile, Darden, Instacart and dm to create intuitive store locators, from simple static maps to advanced, interactive experiences. Tools like Geocoding API for precise store location mapping,  Isochrone API for drive-time calculations, Directions API for navigation, and Mapbox GL JS for custom map rendering allow businesses to increase brand recognition and improve customer engagement.

Use case 2: Streamline checkout with Address Autofill

Retailers can see improvements in revenue by reducing errors during the checkout process and reducing the time it takes for customers to complete their purchases. The Mapbox Address Autofill SDK speeds up checkout by auto-completing address fields accurately, reducing errors, and boosting conversion rates. 

Some customers have seen a 15% increase in conversion rates after implementing Address Autofill.

The Mapbox Static Image API and Geocoding API further enhance this process by creating branded static map images showing a delivery address or the location where a payment was made. When used in emails or push notifications, adding location maps can help reduce payment disputes or address errors and build customer trust.

Use case 3: Optimize order delivery

Mapbox excels in logistics, offering highly performant solutions to enhance order tracking and delivery. With advanced mapping features like 3D-rendered buildings and an enhanced location engine for precise GPS tracking, retailers can boost customer confidence and ensure accurate deliveries.

Use case 4: Improve warehouse site selection

When it comes to site selection, one of our key tools is our movement data, powered by our mobile SDK and sourced from over 45,000 global mobile applications. This collaboration provides us with movement data from over 700 million monthly active users. This data allows businesses to understand footfall patterns and vehicular movement in specific areas, crucial for making informed site selection decisions. Retail companies can use this data to assess potential locations by analyzing traffic flow and enhancing the analysis with boundary data or driving time insights using our Matrix API. The recent video we watched demonstrated this during the Eclipse, clearly showing movement patterns across the US. These tools simplify the site selection process, providing a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and movement. See where Americans went during the Eclipse with Mapbox Movement data:

Use case 5: Boost customer engagement with loyalty apps and marketing

Åsa discussed the growing importance of customer loyalty applications in retail. Customer loyalty apps, which often include features like store locators, discounts, and mobile payments, can be significantly enhanced with location intelligence. Åsa shared a study by BCG that found retail companies using location intelligence saw an 11-15% increase in average online cart size due to more personalized and timely promotions.

Geofencing allows businesses to set virtual boundaries around locations, so retailers can use this to engage customers. By sending targeted notifications to customers who are near a store, retailers can increase the likelihood of conversions and build stronger customer relationships.

A look ahead: Improve the in-store experience with curbside pickup and indoor mapping

The team also previewed how in the future, Mapbox can improve the in-store shopping experience, particularly through curbside pickups and indoor mapping. Åsa explained how maps customized with Mapbox will be able to guide customers to specific pickup spots, making the process more convenient and less stressful. This feature is especially valuable for first-time customers who may be unfamiliar with the store layout or pickup procedures.

For retailers, the efficiency of in-store order fulfillment can be significantly enhanced using Mapbox technology. 

Åsa shared insights from a test where optimized picking routes led to a 40% faster order collection time, highlighting the potential for location technology to streamline operations even in large, complex retail environments.

One of the significant internal operations challenges in retail is order fulfillment. With the increasing demand for door-to-door deliveries, the efficiency of large fulfillment centers has become a critical differentiator. 

Indoor mapping capabilities are also in the works. Åsa revealed that Mapbox is enhancing rendering capabilities to support more extensive indoor maps, which can be used for both consumer-facing and internal applications. This technology has the potential to revolutionize how retailers manage in-store operations and enhance the shopping experience by guiding customers to specific items within large stores.

During the demo, the audience voted on the use cases they were most interested in, with 50% expressing strong interest in indoor maps. Åsa also showcased customer onboarding and checkout features, including address autofill & address verification. Lastly, she demonstrated the store locator in different customer scenarios. Watch the demo at 27:00.

The “How Location Intelligence Accelerates Retail Growth — From Checkout to Customer Home” webinar provided valuable insights into how retailers can use Mapbox tools to overcome industry challenges and create superior customer experiences. Whether it’s through enhanced store locators or efficient order tracking, Mapbox is helping retailers stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.

If you missed the webinar or want to revisit the content, you can watch the full recording here.