The Pokémon GO craze has officially taken the world by storm, and while it’s currently only available in the US, Australia and New Zealand, it’s set to launch in Europe and the rest of Asia “within a few days”, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Pokémon GO
The game, which was jointly produced by Nintendo and US-based Niantic, has topped the “most downloaded” charts for both Android and Apple users since its release last week.
Smartphone users have quickly become addicted to the concept of seeking out and collecting Pokémon GO virtual monsters at real-world locations, whether it be a shop, restaurant or city landmark.
This is great news for traditional retailers, who could use the added footfall through their stores at a time when online shopping is keeping shoppers at home.
See how Pokémon GO works in this video by FT.com:
Retail strategies
Australia supermarket group Woolworths has already used its Facebook page to tip off gamers on how to catch Pokémon in its stores, and Tanghui, a high-end Chinese restaurant in Sydney is activating a daily Lure Model to attract Pokemon and ultimately, more customers.
The game can also provide a way for retailers to take advantage of geotagging — where users are targeted with specific advertisements based on their specific location.
That’s just the beginning for traditional retailers around the world, who could all use some help driving more traffic into their stores.
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