In the digital age, location intelligence and foot traffic analytics based on mobility data are changing the retail business, giving many retailers an edge over their competitors.
Location intelligence is defined as a methodology for understanding and visualizing mobility data to help solve a wide variety of retail problems.
Foot traffic analytics is derived from location intelligence, helping retailers to obtain a better understanding about how people move around physical locations and enabling new visibility into consumer behavior patterns by presenting a visualization of people's movement within a physical area, even segmented by the infinite type of consumers who pass near a store.
The Salvadoran Siman Group, a conglomerate that operates franchises for Zara, Zara Home and Massimo Dutti and the department stores Aliss, Yamuni, Carrion and Ekono has announced expansion plans.
In 2013 the Siman Group will open a new 10,000 square meter store in the new stage of Multiplaza del Este Mall which will generate 250 jobs.
Between 2016 and 2017 it expects to have four or five outlets for which it is investigating venturing into new areas such as Heredia, Cartago and Alajuela.
Grupo Roble has begun the expansion of the Multiplaza shopping centers in Antiguo Cuscatlan and remodeling in Metrocentro in Santa Ana and San Salvador.
"For Multiplaza, which has 250 stores, new stores will open such as Victoria's Secret, Nike Store, Gap, La Senza, Banana Republic, Aldo, CAT, and Converse, among others, explained Alberto Poma, CEO of Grupo Roble.
The chain, which closed one of its branches in a major shopping center, has announced investments of $4 million and the opening of three stores.
Carrion store chain will invest about $4 million in 2012 on the improvement and expansion of the operation it has had in the country for the last 10 years, reported Nacion.com.
Vicente Carrion, founding president of the Honduran chain, said the investment plan includes the renovation the infrastructure in five branches , as well as the range of merchandise . He said that they are evaluating the opening of three more stores in the Greater Metropolitan Area of San José, in sizes ranging from 2,000 m² to 4,000m², according Nacion.com.
The first Costa Rican store of the salvadoran group will open in November 2009, hiring over 300 employees.
In an interview with Nacion.com, Ricardo Simán, president of "Tiendas Simán", speaks about the new store they will open in the fifth stage of Grupo Roble's Multiplaza Escazú, in November of this year.
The executive commented: "We hope to earn the preference of the Costa Rican consumer, taking advantage of the proposal made by Grupo Roble to become the anchor store of the fifth stage of Multiplaza Escazú.