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"The store" that implements these is probably not a mom-and-pop. Places like Walmart succeed because of their ability to execute major logistics and networking
by LeifCarrotson 7y ago
"The store" that implements these is probably not a mom-and-pop. Places like Walmart succeed because of their ability to execute major logistics and networking projects.
If the beacons increased Wal-Mart's revenue by 1%, the "major networking infrastructure" project could be a $5 billion department, larger than Google's entire R&D operating expenses.
- cma 7y agoCan't compare revenue to operating expenses for funding a new department, should use earnings minus income taxes instead. It would be closer to funding a $1 billion department.
- TeMPOraL 7y agoSure, but the Beacon technology was designed for this cheaper type of use (dumb beacon, smart phone) from the get-go - people working on it probably may have wanted it to be useful not just for the biggest chains, but also smaller franchises and mom-and-pop stores (why limit your market prematurely?). In the alternate reality in which BLE beacons were never created, maybe Wal-Mart did its own major project to get the same results the hard way.