Ever had that “completely lost” feeling in one of France’s many enormous hypermarkets? If so you will be pleased to hear that Phillips have taken a significant step towards reducing shopper confusion by creating LED lighting which also transmits geographical information to your smartphone.

The new system is being trialled at Carrefour in Lille, and shopper response is very positive indeed. The technology works by transmitting codes via the light waves from the ceiling to an App on your smartphone. With the aid of the App you can locate yourself easily in the store, and look for various promotions on offer.

In addition to the obvious benefit to shoppers, the system boasts a 50% power reduction when compared to typical hypermarket energy consumption. It is hoped the innovation will breathe new life into the struggling hypermarket sector which is under increasing threat from discount chains like Aldi and Lidl.

Sources:

1. BBC News
   Supermarket LED lights talk to smartphone app.
2. ebuyer:
   Smart shopping.