How Integrated EV Charging Connectivity Influences Consumer Behaviour in Retail

The importance of integrating newly installed EV facilities with other retail, hospitality and entertainment experiences, is becoming a top priority. Especially within retail parks and supermarkets which strongly rely on attracting customers through convenient parking facilities. 

This is due to EV charge points increasingly becoming a key part of the decision making that consumers use when selecting stores that they visit. Online access to charging station’s availability and the availability of special offers and loyalty programs that are associated with them, becoming highly valuable mechanisms for influencing where consumers wish to shop. Key to this, however, is having the ability to directly engage with customers. 

The provision of connected EV charging solutions for customers helps retailers in their broader customer and retail connectivity goals. For example, one of the key challenges for retailers is for incentivising consumers to download and use their company smart phone apps. It providing many resultant benefits for them in terms of customer engagement, loyalty, personalisation and therefore incremental ongoing revenue generation. By providing a means of connection that greatly benefits consumers (such as via EV charge points), encouraging customers to connect to in-store WiFi or download and use in-store apps greatly increases. 

Smart apps and Wi-Fi used together are important as they help to build a better picture and understanding of consumers likes and dislikes, needs and their preferences, habits and routines. It can also help indicate when a customer is looking to visit a store or is nearby. 

For example, when registered to a retailer’s Wi-Fi, various important details are gathered such as email, name, age, gender, interests, location, and subsequently their visit or store proximity frequency. When coupled with a consented-to location sharing app, the field of vision extends and complements the Wi-Fi system. 

For carrying out successful marketing campaigns, Wi-Fi analytics can therefore provide crucial market intelligence advantages in terms of attracting consumers for retail and hospitality businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and retail stores. 

Integrated retail and EV charge point connectivity therefore plays a significant and seamless role in this process. WiFi at retail or hospitality EV charging stations, means consumers will register on the stores WiFi to access their needed charging. This Wi-Fi access point also extends the range of the WiFi well beyond the constraints of the in-store building environment and the potential for signal attenuation caused by walls and obstructions. Covering the parking zone as well. 

Planned, secure and resilient WiFi and IoT SIM cards, therefore, not only provides essential connectivity for the EV charge point and its core functionality, operational servicing and maintenance and ability to report its live-status. It also facilitates connections with customer (store) charging apps. Enhancing the charging process but also helping to boost consumer interest in the broader store services that are available via the store app. 

Let us, therefore, explore how offering WiFi at charging points critically affects a stores attractiveness and complements a broad range of retail and hospitality services: 

With integrated Wi-Fi backed by resilient IoT SIM cards, charging stations can provide real-time updates about:

• Charger availability
• Queue times
• A connected vehicles charging status
• Information regarding any relevant nearby amenities.

Users can access this information through their smart devices, allowing consumers to make more informed decisions about where to shop or dine while waiting for their vehicle to charge. This level of transparency can significantly improve customer trust and satisfaction in the overall process and encourage the best use of their time. Helping to reduce their range anxiety and encouraging longer visits to the retail store or area. 

To attract more customers to retail stores, implementing Wi-Fi and a convenient store charging app, can provide valuable new connections and conversations with existing customers who are planning retail trips. Downloading and using the charger app (which can be part of the stores app), or the charger Wi-Fi provides a key extra touch point for retailers. Key is making this process as seamless and easy as possible.   

By focusing on simplicity, efficiency, and by instilling user confidence in the process, it is possible to create a seamless experience for consumers registering and logging onto a retail EV charger’s WiFi and the retail WiFi system. 

To make this process of consumer registration and logging onto a retail EV charger WiFi as simple, easy and seamless as possible, it is therefore important to consider the following strategies: 

Simplified User Interface 

Designing a clean and intuitive interface for both the charging station and the mobile app must minimise the steps required for registration and login but must ensure consent. 

One-Tap Login 

Implementing social media or single sign-on (SSO) options (such as Google, Facebook, or Apple ID) can provide a more rapid and trusted access without the need for creating a new account. 

Automatic Device Recognition 

Allowing consumers to register their devices once, and automatically recognise them on subsequent visits, is important for reducing the need for repeated logins. 

QR Code Scanning 

Utilising QR codes that are clearly located and visible on the charge point, and around the retail facility, are important for customers scanning and accessing the WiFi login page or app quickly. This eliminates the need for manual entering the URL. It is also important the QR code can be scanned from inside the vehicle at the charge point for maximum flexibility. 

Incentives for Registration 

It is important to offer rewards or discounts for new users who register as well as loyalty incentives. Ideally, these will encompass both EV charging and retail activities. Encouraging customers to start and complete the process. 

Guest Access 

Offering a temporary guest access option that allows users to connect without registration for a limited time, encourages users to begin using the system and therefore helps build trust. 

Clear Instructions 

Providing clear, step-by-step instructions on the charging station and in the app, perhaps with visual aids, can help guide users through the process if they begin to struggle or are unsure. 

Mobile App Integration 

Developing a dedicated EV charging and retail mobile app that allows users to find charging stations, manage their shopping and EV charging accounts seamlessly, and make payments, can provide a significant benefit. Allowing them to easily connect to the Wi-Fi, however, is critical to providing a seamless and uninterrupted omnichannel experience. 

Prompt Feedback 

Using real-time feedback mechanisms to inform users of successful connections or any issues during the registration process and through the EV charging process are crucial. It is important that customers who have left their vehicle charging are alerted to any issues so that they are not frustrated on their return to the vehicle. 

Security Assurance 

Clearly communicating the security and privacy measures that are in place to protect user’s data, is vital for encouraging trust in the registration process and subsequent use of the system. 

Free Charging Access? 

Many larger retailers offer free or discounted charging; however, others require payment. The suitability largely depends upon local contexts, competitive forces and the likelihood of the consumer completing a large purchase. Irrespective, it is important to link systems such as EV charge point, ANPR systems, and shopping receipts to ensure valuable EV charging stations are used by valid customers. WiFi systems and apps play a big part in this process. 

Providing free WiFi to customers while they charge their EVs, creates a more enjoyable experience that encourages longer stays and repeat visits. Having a user-friendly app where customers can easily locate and pay for charging sessions can help streamline the process and entice new users to choose stores over competitor ones. Embracing these technologies also enhances consumer satisfaction by providing drivers the opportunity to occupy themselves during the charging process. The retail or shopping experience may not exactly match the desired charge time, or some passengers may remain in the vehicle while others use the store. 

Complimentary WiFi therefore enables users to surf the web, check emails, watch live streams and videos, and interact on social platforms. Making wait times less dull. This convenience changes the charging task to a pleasurable and fruitful activity, increasing the station’s appeal to potential individual users and families. 

These strategies also appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and families, helping create a positive brand image that fosters customer loyalty. By embracing EV charging stations augmented with complementary WiFi, retailers can position themselves as forward-thinking and customer-focused complete destinations in the increasingly competitive retail landscape. 

Integrated WiFi at EV charging stations contributes to the creation of a connected ecosystem. Once registered, retailers can leverage this opportunity by promoting their businesses through targeted advertisements and notifications sent via the WiFi network or their apps. Helping to entice customers and increasing foot traffic and therefore sales. By creating a connected ecosystem that includes EV charging facilities, retailers can also encourage longer dwell times in-store. This is because both the retailer and the consumer will know the charging state of the vehicle. Important because the retailer may offer different hospitality or retail services depending upon how much time they have left and the demographics of the individual or group. In these instances, consumers may also instigate interactions by looking up store promotions, check product availability, or use flexible mobile payment options. This connectivity streamlines the shopping process in these dwell times, ultimately benefiting both the consumer and the retailer. Connectivity improves the shopping journey and fosters a more engaging environment. 

Managing dwell times not only benefits the retailer and consumer but also benefits local power grid provisioning. For example, under peak conditions, charging across a range of vehicles across a facility is important to ensure that the local power grid is not overloaded. This is especially the case when deploying banks of fast charging DC chargers at retail destinations. In these scenarios, it is important for retail business to dynamically manage their fast chargers by incentivising some users to slow down their charging and stay on site longer to smooth out peak demand. This might also be via the retailer better predicting the shoppers intended or dynamically calculated vehicle return times via their routines, on-line or app requests, or by other IoT in-store systems or point of sale systems. 

The increasing electrification of buildings and serial electric vehicle charge point installations in serial also places a strain on local building services. Large retail stores and shared retail facilities, also have other power requirements such as safety systems, refrigeration, lifts and alarms. It is therefore important to also preserve these systems while providing reliable chargers through the dynamic demand management of smart EV charging stations and their charge point management systems to help protect and conserve these other vital building systems. 

Integrating wireless connectivity also enables integration of local renewable energy sources. Businesses implementing these integrated energy and connectivity technologies, seeing a 25-30% rise in energy efficiency and a 15-20% reduction in energy costs as well as increased customer engagement. 

Fostering Customer Loyalty 

The convenience and perks provided by integrated EV charging WiFi significantly enhances customer loyalty among EV drivers. Charging stations that offer reliable internet access can become preferred locations for charging, especially if they are associated with shopping rewards or loyalty programs. 

Marketing and Advertising Opportunities 

WiFi networks at charging stations serve as valuable marketing platforms for retailers. By collecting data on user behaviour and preferences, businesses can tailor their marketing strategies to better meet customer needs. For example, charging station operators can collaborate with other complementary local businesses to offer exclusive promotions or discounts to users who connect to their WiFi. 

Integrating WiFi into EV charging stations not only helps retailers align with broader sustainability goals, but it can also help foster a sense of community by encouraging more social interactions among EV drivers. 

As the EV market continues to expand, integrating WiFi and connectivity into EV charging stations is an important strategic move for attracting and retaining consumers. By enhancing the customer retail charging experience, it can help drive increased foot traffic, foster loyalty, and provide more engaging and creative marketing opportunities. The presence of integrated WiFi in retail environments can help increase dwell time and enables consumers to make more efficient use of waiting tines via greater predictability, informed decision-making, which helps creates trust and therefore builds customer loyalty. By leveraging these holistic advantages of EV charge point retail connectivity, retailers can create a more engaging and satisfying shopping atmosphere that ultimately drives sales and strengthens loyalty to their retail locations and brands. 

Integrated WiFi, retail, and IoT connectivity therefore not only represents a vital component of modern EV infrastructure, helping make these systems work seamlessly, but is also a vital part of enticing new and existing customers to stores by integrating their charging and shopping needs and routines.