Beacons are treading dangerously close to the realm of vaporware that’s often talked about in revolutionary terms, despite never materializing in the real world. If they have any allies left, it very well might be CVS and Google.
Internet Retailer is reporting that the neighborhood pharmacy chain and tech conglomerate have joined forces to test out Google’s newest beacon platform, dubbed last month as “Nearby.” This will allow CVS stores to push alerts to Android device owners through the pre-installed Google Play app, which bypasses any burdensome need for CVS to incentivize downloads of its proprietary app. Probably best of all, though, is that Google isn’t charging retailers a penny to hop on board with Nearby.
“This can be beneficial to any retailer who wants to increase the visibility of a mobile experience that’s timely and relevant when users are in the store,” a Google spokesperson told Internet Retailer.
While CVS provided no official details, Google let slip that the retail health chain will only be pushing notifications alerting device owners that they can send photos straight from the CVS app to a physical store for seamless printing services. If that generates any kind of significant response, though, expect CVS to get a little more ambitious with its beacon-based promotions.
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