Point-of-sale retargeting involves applying retargeting strategies typically used on online platforms to physical stores. It aims to re-engage customers who have visited a store in person, or to target those who abandoned a purchase on the retailer’s e-commerce site, encouraging them to return to the store. To achieve this, store visitors are initially identified anonymously using technologies such as in-store data collection or geofencing. These visitors are then recognized and targeted when they use their smartphones to browse the internet or use apps.

Point-of-sale retargeting can be triggered in real time in the immediate vicinity of the store, or later, regardless of where the smartphone is used. One example of this practice is the use of a beacon, a small Bluetooth transmitter, to send personalized notifications to customers when they are near the store.