Cashing in on the Dead: The Rise of Spirit Halloween in Vacant Retail

Oct 12, 2024 / 5 min read

Cashing in on the Dead: The Rise of Spirit Halloween in Vacant Retail

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When Saturday Night Live recently poked fun at Spirit Halloween for taking over vacant stores, the retailer responded with a clever clapback: “We are great at raising things back from the dead.” While the joke got laughs, it highlighted a real trend. As traditional retailers close their doors, Spirit Halloween is leading the way in transforming empty storefronts into seasonal pop-up success stories. And in 2024, their presence is more significant than ever, signaling a shift in how retail space is used.

At dataplor, we’ve analyzed the data behind Spirit Halloween’s location strategy, and it’s clear that this seasonal takeover is tapping into a larger economic trend.

Retail Giants Turned Haunted Locations

The wave of store closures from well-known retail brands has created opportunities for temporary businesses to occupy high-visibility, high-traffic spaces. In 2024, the top five former tenants of Spirit Halloween locations include:

  • Bed Bath & Beyond: 77 locations
  • Rite Aid: 66 locations
  • Tuesday Morning: 59 locations
  • Sears: 54 locations
  • CVS: 39 locations

Together, these five brands account for approximately 13% of all current Spirit Halloween locations. What’s striking is that four of these brands—Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid, Tuesday Morning, and Sears—have filed for bankruptcy within the past six years. Their closures have left prime retail spaces available for companies like Spirit Halloween to move into.

Top5StoreTakeover

Pop-Up Retail and the Changing Face of Commercial Real Estate

Spirit Halloween’s ability to quickly occupy these retail spaces, whether they were once big-box stores like Sears or smaller specialty shops like Zia Records, showcases the agility of the pop-up retail model. The chain strategically targets locations with a population of 35,000+ within a 3-5 mile radius and a daily traffic count of at least 25,000 cars. Flexibility is a core strength, allowing Spirit Halloween to occupy spaces ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 square feet—ensuring they can adapt to a variety of store sizes while maximizing visibility and foot traffic. As traditional retailers shutter their doors, leaving ghostly remnants of empty storefronts, seasonal brands like Spirit Halloween swoop in, using short-term leases to resurrect these spaces from the retail graveyard.

dataplor’s Look Inside Spirit Halloween’s Haunting:

  1. Vacancy as Opportunity:
    Spirit Halloween has made a business of moving into spaces left by major retailers. Our analysis of current location data shows that Bed Bath & Beyond stores alone account for 77 locations. As vacancy rates fall and new commercial space becomes scarcer, the demand for these spaces is only increasing.
  2. Suburban Appeal:
    Many of the brands that previously occupied Spirit Halloween locations, such as Rite Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond, were heavily focused on suburban retail spaces. As suburban populations grow and remote work trends continue, these areas become more attractive for retailers, making them ideal for Spirit Halloween’s pop-up stores.
  3. Temporary but Strategic:
    Pop-up stores like Spirit Halloween can take advantage of short-term leases to operate during peak seasons without the burden of long-term commitments. This strategy allows them to maximize profitability while minimizing overhead, especially in high-demand locations.

Will There Be a Future With More Pop-Up Stores and Fewer Traditional Stores?

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, the rise of pop-up stores like Spirit Halloween may signal a broader shift away from traditional brick-and-mortar retail models. While Spirit Halloween has traditionally focused on the spooky season, recent developments suggest that this model could extend well beyond Halloween.

Enter Spirit Christmas.

Spirit Halloween’s parent company, Spencer Gifts, is expanding the concept into the winter holidays. For the first time, Spirit will be converting some of its Halloween stores into Spirit Christmas locations. These holiday-themed pop-ups will take over retail spaces across the Northeast, offering decorations, stocking stuffers, gifts, and even Santa photo ops. With locations planned in states like New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, this move demonstrates the growing viability of the pop-up model across different retail seasons.

Given that the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts $11.6 billion in spending on Halloween costumes, decorations, and other items, it’s clear that the haunted holiday is a significant business. However, the winter holidays are an even bigger opportunity, with $964 billion spent in the U.S. last year alone.

SeasonalSpendingTrends

As traditional retail giants continue to close stores or file for bankruptcy, the pop-up model—exemplified by Spirit Halloween—offers a glimpse into the future of retail. Consumers still crave physical shopping experiences, particularly for seasonal or specialty items, and retailers like Spirit Halloween and Spirit Christmas have shown that they can meet this demand cost-effectively and flexibly.

For real estate investors and lessors, this presents an opportunity to fill vacant spaces with temporary tenants who drive foot traffic and create buzz. Meanwhile, for retailers, the pop-up model provides a way to engage customers directly, offering immersive experiences that are difficult to replicate online.

In the coming years, we may see more retailers adopting this flexible approach, especially as e-commerce grows and the demand for traditional, permanent retail spaces decreases. Whether for Halloween, Christmas, or any other seasonal event, the ability to set up shop quickly, sell to a targeted audience, and move on could become the new normal.

At dataplor, we provide the insights businesses need to navigate this changing landscape. By tracking trends in location data, vacancy rates, and market opportunities, we help retailers and investors make informed decisions about capitalizing on the growing demand for flexible retail solutions. Whether you want to understand the latest trends or inform the future business locations, dataplor has the data-driven insights you need to succeed in a rapidly evolving market. Contact us and see how we can help your business haunt the most profitable locations year-round.

Mapping POI Data Use Cases and Common Applications

Jul 31, 2024 /

Mapping POI Data Use Cases and Common Applications

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As a geospatial developer, your customers rely on you to provide accurate, up-to-date maps they can use to find and understand specific locations. Learn some of the most important ways point-of-interest (POI) data is used in the GIS industry below.

6 Use Cases for Mapping POI Data

Creating accurate maps is vital for business continuity, financial health and more. Here are some of the top use cases for points of interest mapping across various industries.

1. GPS Systems

Now that almost everyone carries a smartphone, more people use global positioning systems (GPS) to get around than ever, and GPS companies rely on accurate map data to serve their customers.

Adding more data about specific places on a map, such as the following, makes it easier for people to find their way around new places:

  • Retail centers
  • Hospitals
  • Public parks
  • Government offices
  • Restaurants
  • Entertainment venues
  • Tourist attractions

This information also gives end users the ability to uncover hidden places within their communities, which improves the customer experience and opens them up to new adventures.

2. Ride-Booking and Transportation

Both ride-booking services and public transportation organizations rely on GPS data to get customers to their destinations on time. When that data doesn’t reflect changes in an area, it becomes difficult to provide the level of service people expect.

Digital maps containing the most up-to-date POI data help these companies by:

  • Reducing errors like missed turns.
  • Helping drivers avoid areas prone to traffic jams.
  • Boosting company reputation and enhancing customer experiences.

3. Urban Planning and Real Estate

Construction and real estate companies need to monitor trends in population and business movement to predict which areas are most likely to experience significant growth.

Digital mapping applications that include POI data provide these companies with important information such as:

  • Which brands are setting up in an area.
  • Which specific demographics these brands attract.
  • What kinds of architecture are already in an area.

This research can help developers and real estate firms determine the best places to build and how they can make new structures blend in with their surroundings.

4. Logistics and Supply Chain Optimization

Data-driven decision-making is essential for mitigating risks and improving operational efficiency. Here’s how a POI map can help third-party logistics companies and supply chain risk managers:

  • Optimize route planning: Employees can use your maps to plan the most efficient shipping routes and itineraries, which can help them improve their on-time delivery rates.
  • Analyze local markets: Knowing where competitors and other local businesses are located can help supply chain companies decide where to set up new facilities.
  • Improve risk management: An up-to-date view of all the potential risks a driver might encounter on a job can help risk managers boost safety and minimize losses.

5. Gain a Competitive Advantage

The navigation and mapping space is highly competitive, and standing out from the industry front runners is one of the best ways to boost profitability. One way to differentiate your business is to provide more accurate data.

When customers can reliably navigate new places and find the information they’re looking for from a map company, they’re more likely to choose that company again.

6. Cost Savings

Powering GIS platforms with bad data can result in costly errors, especially for companies that require real-time location updates. POI data in digital mapping can help your customers boost their profitability by:

  • Reducing refunds: When customers don’t get their products on time, they’re more likely to cancel the requested service or ask for a refund. POI maps enable highly accurate route optimization, which significantly lowers the risk of refunds cutting into the company’s cash flow.
  • Streamlining resource allocation: Businesses can use POI-based maps to improve their budget allocations based on local performance, population data and more. 
  • Improving customer targeting: Geofencing and other location-based marketing tactics only work when they have accurate information to go off of. Providing up-to-date POI data enables marketing teams to reduce the risk of losses due to ill-informed campaigns.

How to Find Good POI Mapping Datasets

Maps with point-of-interest data are essential for many business decisions. The challenge is finding a reliable source of quality POI data, especially when most open-source datasets are riddled with errors. Here’s what to do when choosing a data provider:

Consider Your Goals

To make your investment worthwhile, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to do with this data. Which datasets do you need to achieve these goals, and do you need more than POI data?

Understanding what a dataset can and can’t tell you is essential for making an informed investment. By comparing a company’s offerings against your goals, you can determine what level of coverage you need.

Request a Data Sample

Free data samples are often a sign of a reliable company, as they provide clear evidence of the data’s accuracy and reliability. Reach out to your chosen data provider to request a sample of their data and test it in experimental applications. Is it accurate? Does it serve your purposes? 

If you have any questions about the data, its sources or how the company validates it, feel free to contact a representative for more information.

Evaluate the Source

Before signing on with a data provider, it’s important to make sure they’ll be a suitable partner. These criteria can help:

  • Wide coverage: Look for a provider that offers global coverage to ensure you have the data you need for every location you need to map.
  • Flexible licensing: A flexible licensing plan ensures you only pay for the data you use, improving your return on investment and preventing information overload.
  • Verification: Does the provider manually verify their data with human experts, or do they rely on their technology to do all the work? Human confirmation is essential for ensuring you have the most accurate data available.
  • Dynamic updates: Your provider should update data frequently to reflect changes in an area, such as business relocations and new construction. A provider that offers near-real-time updates is ideal.

Enhance Your Mapping Accuracy With dataplor

If you’re looking for a source of POI data you can trust, dataplor is here for you. Our proprietary AI-based technology allows us to rapidly edit our datasets any time an area experiences changes, enabling near real-time updates on locations around the world. Our in-house team of data analysts reviews all our datasets before publishing, so you can count on us to provide the most accurate data at any given time.

See how our proprietary methods can help your company scale operations, enhance revenue and provide better service to your customers. Contact us today to request your free data sample.

Retail POI Data Use Cases and Common Applications

Jul 16, 2024 /

Retail POI Data Use Cases and Common Applications

Blog

According to real estate experts, location is everything. And this phrase is just as true for retail as it is for the real estate industry. 

Data-driven decision-making is essential for making sure you’re positioning your business for success. Whether you’re looking to expand your presence abroad or begin opening new stores domestically, global point of interest (POI) data and analytics are essential tools for making the right geographical decisions for your company.

Let’s explore some of the most common use cases and applications for retail datasets. 

What Is Retail POI Data?

Point of interest data is information about a specific physical location. A POI can be any location someone finds interesting, such as a retail store, hospital, restaurant or grocery store.

4 Use Cases for Retail Location Data

Businesses can use data in many creative ways, but here are the top four use cases for retail companies.

1. Selecting a Store Location

When expanding your business or moving your store to a new area, you want to make sure you’re setting up shop in a profitable location. Retail store location data can help you choose the ideal spot.

Site analysis can help you evaluate whether a site is right for your business based on factors like:

  • Competition: One of the most important parts of a site selection analysis is making sure you’re not moving into an area that already has a high concentration of competitors in your sector.
  • Nearby businesses: POI data can help you understand what businesses outside your sector your target demographic likes to visit and how far they are from your location.
  • Residential areas: Having residential neighborhoods near your chosen location could help you attract customers who don’t want to go too far from their homes to shop.

Ultimately, the goal of site analysis is to find a location that has a sizable population of your target customer base with few competitors.

2. Analyzing Competitors

Competitor analysis is vital for getting a leg up over the competition in a specific location. Some important questions POI data can answer include:

  • What about your competitors’ physical stores is attracting your customers? 
  • Are they in a good location with supporting businesses nearby? 
  • Is their store near a residential or commercial hub? 
  • Do they advertise well to the customers in the area? 
  • How many of your other competitors are close by?

The more you know, the easier it will be to determine where you need to stake your new location.

3. Enhancing the Customer Experience

POI data is a great tool for gaining insight into customer preferences and behaviors. 

Retail store location data can help you provide a more fulfilling customer experience at existing and new locations by:

  • Navigation: Customers should be able to find and travel to your store quickly and easily. POI data can help you choose a convenient, highly visible location within a short distance of your target market, or other businesses they frequent.
  • Geotargeted marketing: Accurate, up-to-date location intelligence enables you to take advantage of cutting-edge advertising techniques that appeal specifically to customers in an area. 
  • Location trends: Where do your customers prefer to spend their time? What hot businesses are in your area? POI data can help you leverage these insights to keep your target market engaged.
  • Region-specific offerings: Understanding your customers is essential for effective localization. This information can help you tailor product and service offerings for each country you operate in, appealing to local tastes and meeting customer demand.

4. Optimizing the Supply Chain

Thanks to e-commerce pioneers like Amazon, customers now expect to receive deliveries in just a few days.

POI data can also help you leverage your geographical location to shorten lead times and improve order fulfillment for customers living nearby. If you’re trying to decide where to put a distribution center, warehouse or other logistical facility, a thorough site analysis using retail POI data can help. 

For example, an e-commerce company could use retail POI data to find an ideal lot for a warehouse that’s close enough to the business’s target market to meet customers’ increasingly high expectations. 

Additionally, POI data that updates in real time can enable your company to provide customers with live order tracking. Customers can rest assured knowing valuable purchases are safe and on the way, which is one of the best ways to improve the delivery experience.

Finding Good Retail Datasets: Tips and Tricks

When buying POI data, you must ensure that the dataset is accurate and well-maintained. Here are some tips you can use to find the best data for your intended application:

  • Check for data quality: Request a free sample from your data provider to make sure the dataset is complete, current and accurate. If you have any questions, reach out to the provider’s customer service department for more information.
  • Make sure it offers wide coverage: Whether you’re looking to expand internationally or gather intelligence on your nearby competitors, you’ll need to ensure the datasets you use cover the areas you need. 
  • Ask about licensing terms: Your data needs will vary depending on your intended use case, so it’s important to make sure you’re only paying for the data you use. A provider that offers flexible licensing plans can help you ensure your investment aligns with your goals.
  • Choose a trustworthy provider: While open-source data sets are more cost-effective, they’re often riddled with errors and outdated data points. Instead, look for a paid data provider that updates their data in real time to ensure you always have access to the most recent information.

If you’re looking for a dynamic, cost-effective and accurate source of high-quality POI data for retail stores, dataplor is the data provider for you.

Get Quality POI Data for Retail Stores From dataplor

The right data makes an enormous difference in the success of your business. Working with a reliable POI data provider is the only way to get the data you need without worrying about inaccuracies.

At dataplor, we combine powerful AI capabilities with an international team of human validators to ensure your retail location data is always accurate and up to date. Our data covers more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, so you can gain insight into points of interest virtually anywhere on Earth.

Contact us today to speak with one of our experts or request a free data sample to see how dataplor can help you reach your business goals.

Third-Party Logistics POI Data Use Cases and Applications

Jun 28, 2024 /

Third-Party Logistics POI Data Use Cases and Applications

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Third-party logistics (3PL) businesses can reap many benefits from leveraging points-of-interest (POI) data. Industrial POI sites include manufacturing plants, warehouses, factories, distribution centers, power plants and refineries, among other facilities. 

Access to comprehensive POI data can transform and revolutionize your daily operations, helping your business verify its partners and optimize its planning to streamline logistics. These insights also enable 3PL companies to cut costs and deliver outstanding customer service, supporting greater satisfaction and ultimately protecting your bottom line. 

Explore some key use cases for POI data in the 3PL industry. 

7 Use Cases for 3PL POI Data

Industrial POI datasets include a wide range of valuable insights, including but not limited to site coordinates, names, addresses, size, capacity and operational status. 3PL businesses and researchers can leverage this data to enhance operations.

Explore some key applications of POI data for logistics companies.

1. Optimizing Route Planning

Points-of-interest data is an incredible tool for 3PL companies looking to optimize route planning. Some of the key insights used to determine the most advantageous and time-saving route include:

  • Customer locations.
  • Traffic patterns.
  • Traffic congestion.
  • Delivery constraints.

This information enables your business to create highly efficient delivery routes. By carefully planning which directions your drivers take and finding the path of least resistance, your third-party logistics company can save significant costs thanks to factors like reduced fuel consumption and overall efficiency. 

Plus, you can support shorter delivery times and boost customer satisfaction. Having POI data tools that provide updates in real time is also highly advantageous, especially for adjusting driving routes in response to changing road conditions to remain on schedule and combat frustrating delays. 

2. Geofencing and Location-Based Services

Third-party logistics businesses can also utilize geofencing and location-based services to supercharge route planning and enhance operational visibility to support better overall asset and resource management.

Geofencing refers to a technology that allows users to establish virtual boundaries around physical locations. Your 3PL company can set up geofences around POIs, like your distribution center or warehouses, to track the following in real time:

  • Shipments
  • Arrivals
  • Departures 

You can leverage these tools to receive automated notifications based on driver proximity to different locations, increasing visibility into your operations. 3PL businesses can capitalize on location-based services powered by points-of-interest data to personalize and enhance customer experiences through:

  • Tailored recommendations.
  • Optimized service deliveries. 
  • Enhanced delivery insights.
  • Targeted engagement.

3. Market Analysis

POI data is an incredible tool for third-party logistics companies looking to perform an extensive market analysis to learn more about current market trends, customer behavior and competitor strategies. Your business can use POI insights in its market analysis to:

  • Identify market demand: Analyzing POIs can help you determine which regions feature the highest market demand for your logistics services.
  • Assess competitor locations: Your business can utilize POI data to better understand competitive dynamics and establish strategies to differentiate your services from others in the market. 
  • Optimize network design: POI data can help your 3PL company determine the best transportation networks to supercharge efficiency, cut unnecessary costs and enhance service coverage. 
  • Demand forecasting: Historical points-of-interest data can offer a glimpse into the future, helping your business anticipate market demand for logistics. 
  • Expansion opportunities: POI data also give 3PL companies insight into opportunities for expansion based on factors like gaps in existing logistics infrastructure and historically underserved regions. 

4. Risk Management

Third-party logistics businesses can also leverage POI data to boost risk management in their operations. Points-of-interest insights help companies identify, assess, manage and mitigate various risks. 

By analyzing the regions around key POIs, your company can assess supply chain vulnerabilities and high-risk areas that could negatively impact operations, such as severe weather, high theft rates or geopolitical events.

Route optimization empowered by POI insights can help combat risks by ensuring your drivers take the safest routes based on real-time data. 3PL companies also use POI data to monitor vehicle movement, ensure regulatory compliance and determine tailored insurance coverage based on area-specific risks. 

5. Customer Segmentation

Points-of-interest data also allow 3PL businesses to segment their customer base to increase their understanding of their target market’s behaviors, preferences and needs. This enables you to better serve your customers and drive growth.

Segmenting helps businesses tailor their logistics services to meet customers’ unique needs. You can determine which level of service they require, such as:

  • Standard shipping.
  • Special handling.
  • Expedited delivery.

POI data offers valuable insight into delivery points, transportation hubs and distribution centers. This information, paired with predictive modeling tools, can help your company accurately anticipate customer behavior and future logistics needs. Taking a proactive approach to customer segmentation can help you meet changing customer demands and remain competitive in your market.

6. Supply Chain Management

3PL POI analytics can completely transform your business’s supply chain management strategy. After a few turbulent years for the global supply chain, third-party logistics businesses learned the value and importance of taking a data-backed approach to mitigating risks and optimizing operations. 

By closely analyzing POI data, 3PL companies can determine an optimized network design and align inventory with customer demand patterns. Access to real-time POI insights on shipment statuses, vehicle locations and potential delays can help your business make more informed decisions and proactively respond to disruptions, minimizing their impact on your customers.

7. Last-Mile Delivery Optimization

The final stage of the delivery process is integral to supporting optimized efficiency and operations. POI data and real-time tracking solutions help 3PL businesses determine the best possible routes to ensure timely delivery. These insights allow your business to share accurate estimated times of arrival for deliveries to your customers, considering factors such as customer locations, distance from POI and traffic conditions.

Consumers have high expectations, especially for last-mile delivery services. They expect communication and convenience regarding their deliveries. POI insights enable your company to minimize travel time and guarantee more on-time deliveries to boost satisfaction. 

Contact dataplor to Leverage Location Intelligence for 3PL

If your business is looking to take advantage of POI data to supercharge your third-party logistics services, turn to the products from dataplor. 

With dataplor’s global geospatial data, you get access to valuable real-time insights about everything from local manufacturers to optimal distribution routes. Third-party logistics companies can strategically supercharge operational efficiency and enhance their bottom line. Our POI data offers comprehensive location intelligence so you can make informed decisions, improve resource allocation and cut unnecessary spending.

Are you ready to get started? Contact dataplor to speak with one of our data experts today.

CPG POI Data Use Cases and Common Applications

Jun 20, 2024 /

CPG POI Data Use Cases and Common Applications

Blog

Point-of-interest (POI) data refers to a type of geospatial data that offers valuable insight into customer behavior. A POI can be any location, such as a business, attraction or facility, that may be of interest to a particular consumer, brand or decision-maker. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies can leverage POI data to supercharge their operations and foster greater scalability. 

POI data amplifies your CPG strategy by helping your business drive informed decision-making based on location-specific consumer insights. Explore how to use POI data for the CPG industry below.

7 Applications of CPG POI Data

POI data offers a look into the minds of consumers and what destinations they find appealing, and there are many ways for businesses to capitalize on these insights. Check out these advantageous CPG POI data use cases below:

1. Effective Market Analysis

Consumer packaged goods companies can utilize POI data to conduct a more comprehensive market analysis that encompasses key locations, such as retail stores, supermarkets, distribution centers or malls. Your business can use these insights to identify trends and gaps within your designated market. 

With greater awareness of the current market and customer preferences, your business can better understand where the greatest market opportunities are worldwide and where it is most beneficial to invest your time and money.

You can save valuable time and resources by diligently scouring POI data and using your findings to inform future decision-making before expanding your offers or trying to get your products in a new store. 

2. Targeted Marketing Efforts

Businesses can benefit from exploring both POI data and other CPG data sources, such as sales and social media insights, to inform their marketing efforts. 

POI data offers unparalleled insight into popular destinations and venues where your target consumers are spending their time and money. Getting to know your target market better through these metrics and segmenting that audience helps you cater to their unique wants and needs as a business. 

CPG brands can leverage POI data to deliver more personalized content, advertisements and product recommendations to the right consumers based on their preferences and behaviors in specific areas. 

Learning more about where your target consumers frequent can supercharge the impact of your brand’s marketing initiatives and campaigns.

3. Optimized Distribution Strategies

CPG brands can experience many unique challenges when looking to reach new audiences in different locations to expand their distribution. Having access to a comprehensive CPG POI data set enables businesses to identify the following:

  • High-traffic locations
  • Popular venues
  • Optimal delivery routes
  • Peak delivery times 

These insights are highly valuable for determining strategic and informed distribution plans that empower optimal efficiency, reduce distribution costs and ensure your business is meeting target consumers in places where they are already spending their money. 

By improving these logistical processes, brands can also foster optimized supply chain management, supporting greater scalability and long-term growth. POI data can help you avoid spending money on distribution to locations where your target customers are not currently exploring, saving time and resources you can invest in getting your products in the right locations instead.

4. Comprehensive Competitor Analysis

Point-of-interest data can also be highly beneficial for conducting a comprehensive competition analysis in the consumer packaged goods industry. Your brand can explore valuable insights about their competitor’s distribution strategy, such as:

  • Store locations
  • Market presence
  • Consumer reach
  • Plans for expansion

Gathering insights about competitor brands is easier than ever with the help of advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence, that can collect and analyze data more accurately and efficiently than a human. 

With a greater understanding of your competitors, your business can effectively identify opportunities for improvement and the tactics that give you a competitive edge in your specific industry.

POI data also enables CPG brands to determine where there are gaps in the market and the destinations where their products can shine.

5. Accurate Sales Forecasting

Another key application of consumer packaged goods POI data is effectively predicting future sales. By closely analyzing the location-specific insights from POI data, businesses are better able to predict demand, adjust inventory levels and optimize production.

With more accurate forecasting capabilities, your brand can anticipate consumer needs, make strategic decisions to foster greater satisfaction and protect your bottom line. 

When your company knows what to expect from consumers, it can deliver the right products at opportune times in the most profitable locations.  

In addition to informing resource allocation and saving your brand significant costs, accurate forecasting can help your business identify new opportunities for growth and mitigate potential risks.

6. Enhanced Merchandising and Assortment Planning

Point-of-interest data also helps consumer packaged goods brands optimize their merchandising and assortment planning strategies. Your business can analyze POI data to gain a more in-depth understanding of your target consumer’s preferences and shopping patterns at various locations. Using these insights, your company can then tailor the available product assortments and placements to optimize sales. 

Brands can also leverage POI data to determine which promotional strategies are most advantageous for meeting consumer wants and needs in different locations. 

POI insights offer direction for product selection, placement, price and promotion. Tailoring your merchandising tactics to the point of interest can help your business optimize its in-person presentation to supercharge sales.

7. Strategic Product Launches

Finally, you can also leverage CPG POI data to identify key locations for new product launches. If your business is interested in testing ideas and seeing how different merchandise performs, paying attention to POI insights can help you determine where to sell your latest goods to gain product exposure and boost initial sales. 

Analyzing this data can help consumer packaged goods brands strategically approach new launches in the destinations where they are most likely to perform well and reach the intended consumer. 

Kickstarting the sale of brand-new items in the wrong locations can cost your business in the long run. POI data gives you a holistic view of the market so you can set your product launches up for success and work off that momentum to drive revenue.

Contact dataplor to Start Leveraging Location Intelligence Across the World

If you’re looking to maximize the use of POI data for your consumer packaged goods brand, turn to dataplor. We can help you take advantage of robust artificial intelligence-driven resources and location-based insights from hundreds of locations in real-time.

dataplor helps businesses identify new opportunities to supercharge growth and achieve new levels of success with unmatched global POI datasets. We offer the most comprehensive data available to help your brand increase sales, outdo the competition and make smarter, data-backed business decisions.

Are you interested in learning more? Contact dataplor to connect with our data experts today. 

How Wolt Strengthened Their Selection Insights with dataplor

Apr 25, 2024 /

How Wolt Strengthened Their Selection Insights with dataplor

Case Studies

Wolt’s Geospatial Evolution with dataplor

Wolt, a leading food delivery and technology company spanning 27 countries, initiated a transformative journey to enhance its market presence and identify untapped areas of opportunity. This case study explores why Wolt chose to partner with dataplor over other providers, the problems they sought to solve, and the remarkable accomplishments they’ve achieved through this partnership. Additionally, we delve into their future plans for innovation with dataplor.

Why dataplor?

Wolt’s decision to partner with dataplor was driven by their commitment to data coverage. They prioritized crucial factors such as the breadth of coverage, data accuracy, attributes and most importantly, data quality. dataplor surfaced as the top selection due to its ability to capture a vast number of Points of Interest (POIs) accurately and comprehensively. Wolt underwent an extensive evaluation process, exploring various data vendors. However, dataplor’s unmatched coverage and quality positioned it as the undeniable winner.

The Problems to Solve

Wolt aimed to leverage the data to enhance its market understanding and improve internal operations. They sought to evaluate data beyond their existing data sources to gain a more comprehensive view of merchants across various sectors, not just limited to restaurants. With dataplor, Wolt could address market gaps and identify untapped opportunities more effectively.

How Wolt Uses the Data Internally

Internally, Wolt extensively utilizes dataplor’s data to strengthen its competitive positioning and identify new opportunities. They integrate this data into their internal systems, serving it to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms and ingesting it into various geospatial platforms. Wolt emphasizes the importance of data quality, recognizing it as the foundation for their operations. Centralizing processes enables Wolt to allocate resources efficiently, prioritize leads based on internal valuation, and enhance the accuracy of their predictive models.

Achievements with dataplor Data

Wolt’s collaboration with dataplor has yielded significant achievements. By leveraging dataplor’s comprehensive POI data, Wolt has improved its ability to serve customers and accelerate its growth in various markets. The integration of dataplor’s data has expanded Wolt’s market by nearly 40% in certain markets surpassing their initial projections. Wolt now possesses a more accurate and detailed understanding of merchants within their countries, enabling them to make informed decisions and capitalize on market opportunities effectively.

Background of Wolt’s Geospatial Focus

Leading Wolt’s geospatial initiatives, Sharat Ramamani brings a diverse background in strategy and analytics to the table. His journey into the geospatial realm began at Doordash, where he focused on new country expansion and selection. Following Doordash’s acquisition of Wolt, Sharat shifted his focus primarily to Wolt’s selection strategy across their 25 markets. Despite the challenges of navigating the early geospatial SaaS landscape and the initial learning curve, Sharat found the transition fruitful. Leveraging geospatial data has accelerated Wolt’s decision-making processes and accelerated their time to market.

Wolt’s strategic partnership with dataplor has transformed its approach to market development and expansion. By prioritizing data quality, accuracy, and innovation, Wolt is poised to continue its trajectory of growth and success, leveraging dataplor’s invaluable contributions to drive informed decision-making and capitalize on market opportunities effectively.

Join us on May 16th at the SDSC Conference in London, to hear from Wolt’s Analytics Lead, Sharat Ramamani and dataplor’s Enterprise Account Executive, Meagan Vigil firsthand.

Dollar Store Closures

Advantages of POI Data

Mar 28, 2024 /

Advantages of POI Data

Blog

Point-of-interest (POI) data underpins many of the technologies businesses use to innovate, grow and complete everyday operations. You’ll find it across industries, powering everything from consumer-facing tools to complex competitor research — but how exactly does it benefit organizations?

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of POI data, its challenges and what makes it such a valuable resource for most businesses.

What Is POI?

Point-of-interest data contains information on physical places and their value to the public. These places might be helpful, necessary or interesting, including locations like stores, restaurants, gas stations, hospitals and parks. POI data can also include context on the locations. For example, it might collect information on how long customers spend at a place or create a picture of competing locations.

Many businesses use POI information to create databases and maps that inform various processes for learning about the market, consumers and competitors. Some of these applications include:

  • Selecting sites for expansion or investment.
  • Monitoring consumer behaviors across locations.
  • Performing competitor and market analyses.
  • Calculating and evaluating transit and logistics routes.
  • Informing strategic planning demands.
  • Finding the most profitable operating hours.
  • Building tools, like interactive maps and location-based advertising notifications.
  • Predicting potential risks and planning accordingly.
  • Advertising in the right ways to the right people.

POI can be extremely detailed, facilitating powerful insights and tools. It usually identifies various data points via the North American Industry Classification System.

Why Is POI Data Beneficial for Businesses?

POI data’s many capabilities make it a wide-reaching resource for businesses of all types. The pros of POI data range from growth opportunities to competitor insights. Here are a few POI data benefits for businesses:

1. Improved Decision-Making

POI data can provide real-time insights into various factors to support informed and effective decision-making. Your team can confidently make choices, like where to focus marketing or which route to use, based on accurate and up-to-date information.

2. Streamlined Business Processes

Collecting data individually is highly inefficient and would likely require a limited scope or extensive resources. POI data is ideal for assessing vast amounts of information quickly and feeding it into complex calculations.

POI data can also facilitate faster operations through tools like route planners and maps. Visualizing POI information and integrating it with your business processes can drastically improve your speed.

3. Optimized Resource Allocation

Most of your business decisions will require time and/or money, and one of the biggest pros of location intelligence is its ability to minimize those costs. You can better control expenses like inventory practices, project budgets and staffing requirements.

POI data also helps improve the profitability of your efforts, such as when choosing an effective location for an ad campaign. 

4. Better Audience Insights

Location intelligence offers a much deeper understanding of your customers, as you can explore overarching behaviors and preferences. POI data aggregates many types of information, allowing you to tailor your business decisions to consumer needs.

Say you want to open a new location for a restaurant. You could use POI data to see how many competitors exist in a given area and whether consumers like them. If customer satisfaction scores are low, perhaps you can fill a need in the area — or identify a problem with the location. Marketing campaigns are another great way to learn from POI data.

5. Competitive Advantages and Opportunities

When you can offer a better customer experience, like through more relevant services or tools, you can build loyalty and improve your market share. POI information gives you an edge over the competition while helping you stay agile in evolving market conditions. With a creative approach to using POI data, you can often find opportunities that other businesses are missing.

6. Effective Competitor Research

Similarly, POI is a great way to conduct competitor research. Just as you might research your own performance, you can use POI to assess your competition, scoping out opportunities and possible challenges. Explore their physical locations, where they’re branching out, who’s growing quickly and other aspects of their operation.

With a comprehensive approach, location data can help you differentiate your business.

7. Risk Prevention

Get ahead of threats with a better understanding of your environment. Whether making investments or operational decisions, location intelligence can help you spot trends or potential roadblocks. Avoid financial problems, reputational damage and other avoidable issues.

Top Challenges of POI Data

While the benefits of POI data are plentiful, it also comes with some challenges.

1. Quality

Low-quality data can affect the utility of your information. If it’s inaccurate or incomplete, you can’t make decisions with confidence. For instance, a data set with plenty of entries might not be as helpful as it seems if most of its attributes are blank. Bad POI information could put business-critical judgments at risk.

POI data should offer appropriate coverage in relevant areas and use intelligent validation measures to confirm the information. Local expertise through a human review process can add an extra layer of quality control.

2. Recency

Location intelligence must also be up-to-date. Many fast-changing factors can affect your analyses, such as seasonal trends and industry developments. Some POI data providers offer updates as infrequently as once a year. Real-time updates are much more reliable.

3. Standardization

Many location information systems do not use the same formats or models, and the data sets might not be compatible with each other. Additionally, some organizations have different ideas of which places or attributes are valuable. The information may not be helpful if your data provider doesn’t collect locations or details that are important to your needs.

4. Collection Methods

POI information can come from many places. With data privacy top of mind for today’s consumers and businesses, your intelligence must come from ethical and legal methods. With 72% of Americans supporting more regulation for data protection, a responsible approach is crucial for avoiding legal challenges in the future.

Finding a Location Intelligence Data Provider

If you want to maximize the benefits of POI data, you’ll need to choose a data provider to address any potential challenges. Some aspects to look for in a provider include:

  • Robust quality control, including human oversight and multiple validation steps.
  • Extensive brand data and global location coverage.
  • Real-time updates for reliable, more accurate insights.
  • Comprehensive and helpful metadata, like confidence scores and consumer preferences.

Maximize the Benefits of POI Data With dataplor

At dataplor, we bring comprehensive, quality location information to one place. Businesses across industries use our POI data for everything from predicting success to uncovering new opportunities. dataplor spans over 200 countries and territories and leverages powerful AI-driven resources to achieve unparalleled accuracy and insights.

Whether you want to expand into new areas, build an existing audience or achieve another goal we’ve mentioned, dataplor can help. Contact our team today to learn more about how we can make the benefits of POI data a reality for your organization.

How to Leverage POI Data in Real Estate

Feb 23, 2024 /

How to Leverage POI Data in Real Estate

Blog

Making real estate investment decisions involves gathering large amounts of property data, like:

  • Location
  • Size
  • Amenities
  • Prices and rates
  • Potential risks
  • Building and property conditions
  • Local market trends

Real estate professionals must then analyze this data to uncover patterns and trends. Doing so helps them make more informed decisions regarding property appraisal, investment strategies, consumer behavior patterns and risk assessment.

By seeking ways to leverage point of interest (POI) data in real estate, you can make wiser investment decisions. Real estate companies can use POI data to select the best sites and plan projects based on market trends and potential.

What Is POI Data in Real Estate?

POI data describes information about a specific location of interest. It offers real-time insights into the business’s products, activities, services, average number of visitors, contact information and other key data points. POI data has applications across numerous industries, including real estate.

Real estate POI data helps you assess critical factors for property purchases and rentals. For instance, you might use POI data to research amenities near prospective properties, such as:

  • Parks
  • Schools
  • Restaurants
  • Health care facilities
  • Shopping centers
  • Public transportation

These features can make properties more appealing to homebuyers and renters. A property with higher value and desirability increases your return on investment (ROI). POI can determine the most profitable properties, allowing you to make the most informed investments. You can also make more accurate market predictions based on real estate prices and trends.

5 POI Data Use Cases in Real Estate

Essentially, POI data takes the guesswork out of decision-making for real estate professionals by providing data-driven insights. Below are the different ways you can use POI data to evaluate investment opportunities.

1. Investment Property Research

Every building, site and property has unique coordinates and surroundings. It’s essential to understand the “why” of a location in addition to the “where.”

POI data can help you predict profitability before investing in real estate. You can obtain technical records and information about building conditions. You can determine competing brands’ locations, helping you identify opportunities and risk areas.

You can better understand neighboring businesses and the types of consumers they attract. As such, POI can provide a competitive advantage when conducting investment research.

2. Site Selection

Various factors guide the real estate site selection process, such as competitors, cost-effectiveness and socioeconomic demographics.

When choosing a retail store site, for example, POI data can gauge the specific spots that will generate the highest revenue stream for businesses that lease these properties. When investing in office space, commercial real estate companies often home in on the property’s proximity to hotels, restaurants, stores, cafes and other necessities that office employees desire access to.

Whether building a school or opening a new store location, POI can enhance your knowledge of the property location to help you make smarter investment decisions. You can detect areas of interest, consumer behaviors, locality trends and other valuable insights using POI datasets.

You can gain a more holistic understanding of the property’s surrounding environment, from infrastructure to commercial activities and social amenities. In turn, you can determine if a property is right for your residential or commercial site. Additionally, real estate agents can provide prospective buyers with location options in different visual formats based on their needs and preferences.

3. Market and Competitor Analysis

In the real estate sector, understanding competitors, consumers and market demographics is critical for driving growth. POI can garner insights about supply and demand, location, sales prices, rental rates and ROI potential.

Every real estate professional should master and prioritize market research and analysis. They can assess whether a specific location will succeed and yield a high lease value.

4. Risk Mitigation

POI data can help you mitigate potential risks before investing a significant sum. Real estate professionals must evaluate various factors when assessing a property’s risks. Insurance companies should also have detailed information regarding homes’ and businesses’ risk factors.

POI data can help you research past events to forecast a property’s future risks. For instance, you can determine the crime rate near a property or its susceptibility to natural disasters, such as flooding, fires, hurricanes and earthquakes.

By understanding potential risks associated with the property in question, you can make safer decisions on where to invest your resources. You can also determine how to minimize these risks. For example, you might identify an area with a high flood risk and take steps to protect the property from water damage.

5. Marketing and Advertising Campaign Planning

POI data — such as location-based audiences and consumer behavior patterns — can help you create tailored marketing campaigns. For instance, you can use this data to identify areas with a demand for higher-end properties. You might then develop an advertising campaign to target a wealthier audience.

Alternatively, you might target an audience seeking more affordable housing options. POI and location-based data can help you adapt your marketing strategies to your target demographics’ needs.

How dataplor Can Streamline Your POI Data Collection Strategy

Real estate companies rely on insightful location intelligence and POI data to make smart investments and thrive in a competitive market. As a global POI data provider, dataplor is ready to help you make the most informed, data-driven decisions so you can invest with confidence. We support our proprietary POI and territory data with:

  • Artificial intelligence (AI)
  • Machine learning (ML)
  • Large language models (LLMs)
  • Advanced image recognition
  • Global human validators

These elements cover various data points, including online feedback, consumer behaviors and geographically tagged information. Our advanced data location services can help you:

  • Drive revenue. Our POI data can assess potential capital growth based on the prospective location’s surrounding competitors and areas of interest.
  • Optimize site selection. Leveraging real-time location data can help you make more logical decisions about business openings and closures, maximizing the real estate site selection process.
  • Gain a competitive edge. Stay ahead in a competitive market by discovering where your competitors globally sell their products or services in real-time.
  • Reach your target audiences. Our location intelligence can help you create more tailored advertising campaigns, communicate with your intended audience and ultimately generate more revenue.
  • Make more practical investment decisions. Our comprehensive location and brand data lets you access valuable insights into global competitor performance. That way, you can invest with the utmost peace of mind.

Set Your Real Estate Operations up for Success With dataplor

As a leader in global location intelligence, we can work with you to stockpile POI data that helps you make the most valuable investments and business decisions. Interested in amplifying your real estate workflow with dataplor? Learn more about our solutions by contacting us online or calling (424) 484-2591. We look forward to speaking with you!

Top Applications of Point of Interest Data

Jan 30, 2024 /

Top Applications of Point of Interest Data

Blog

Understanding common applications of point of interest (POI) data can help you discover its usefulness. From minimizing shipping time to expanding in the best locations, POI data helps you make the best decisions for your business. With POI data, you can make your company more efficient and your products or services accessible to a wider audience.

How Does Point of Interest Data Work?

POI data helps companies gather and analyze information about specific locations. This geospatial data reveals how people use certain locations, helping businesses optimize their services, marketing and branch sites. You can use POI data to analyze permanent locations such as national parks or temporary locations such as retail shops or public events.

What Makes Point of Interest Data So Useful?

POI data is incredibly useful because of the information it provides. You can gain the following insights from POI data:

  • A location’s longitude and latitude
  • Companys’ contact information and addresses
  • A company’s primary business activity or industry category
  • Location and surrounding area attributes such as infrastructure, nearby points of interest and average traffic patterns
  • Typical number of visitors
  • Types of visitors a location attracts
  • How people use certain places
  • How a location’s visitor profile shifts over time

Common POI Applications by Industry

The most common POI applications in business relate to business performance, strategy and efficiency. Various industries use POI data to analyze or predict their businesses’ performance in certain locations.

The data helps them analyze performance based on consumer behavior, delivery distances and proximity to competitors. With this information, they can then strategize plans and optimize locations for their benefit.

Retail

POI data allows retail companies to track brick-and-mortar store performance. It also provides insight into competitor store performance, helping businesses gauge where they perform well and how to improve. Your retail company can gain insight into the number of store visits, your store’s market share, competitor stores’ market shares and store efficiency and profit.

With POI data and its provided insights, you can do the following to improve your business:

  • Choose the most successful store location
  • Analyze market opportunities
  • Understand sales dynamics in certain areas
  • Perform competitive analysis
  • Adjust your location strategy and manage store locations
  • Increase employee engagement
  • Optimize your distribution plans
  • Implement regional advertisements
  • Plan for successful expansion
  • Attract new customers

When you know where your target audience lives and shops, you can place your retail stores where more people can visit or discover them easily. You can also implement the most effective marketing strategies by targeting your ads where your customer base is most likely to see them.

Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs)

Similar to retail stores, QSRs can use POI data to find the most profitable locations, understand customer behaviors and outperform the competition. POI data provides the necessary information for the following decisions:

  • Determining a restaurant’s most profitable operating times
  • Choosing the best expansion locations to add new restaurants
  • Understanding how to attract more customers

Accurate POI data can reveal growing residential areas with the most opportunities for growth, and it can help you discover where your business will be most successful.

Mapping

Reliable navigation is essential for numerous businesses. For example, food-delivery and ride-share companies rely on POI to meet or exceed customer expectations. If you operate one of these services, precise travel estimates help your company’s employees provide on-time arrivals.

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs)

If your company sells consumer packaged goods, your top priority is determining where you can reach the most customers. POI data can help you accurately predict your addressable market within a particular area. It provides insight into factors such as:

  • Consumer preferences and behavior
  • Regional trends
  • Competitor presence
  • Market saturation
  • Sales potential

CPG companies can use POI data to plan expansion efforts successfully. For example, if you want to advertise a new sports drink at a football stadium, you can use POI data to analyze the stadium’s visitation patterns and strategize the best times and methods to display your advertisements. POI data can also help you decide which product lines to sell and how much you should invest.

Third-Party Logistics

The e-commerce industry relies on third-party logistics and POI data to fulfill and deliver orders efficiently. With accurate POI data, your company can perform the following tasks:

  • Track fleet movements
  • Map residential areas and optimize fleet routes for efficient delivery
  • Address blank sailings effectively
  • Analyze coverage and choose appropriate pick-up and drop-off points

POI data makes it easy to minimize travel time and distances. It provides insights into warehouse, store and delivery locations so you can choose the best routes for customer satisfaction, fuel reduction and decreased travel costs.

Fintech

POI data is essential in the finance and insurance industries. Financial technology (fintech) consists of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, blockchain and big data systems that help firms make strategic decisions. POI data enhances these systems with precise information and insights. If your business is in the financial industry, you can use POI data to:

  • Determine the best locations to open bank branches
  • Increase a region’s ATM coverage
  • Target advertising to the right audience
  • Complete competitive analysis
  • Identify investment opportunities in specific regions
  • Analyze market share dynamics

If you manage an insurance company, POI data can help you perform risk assessments for specific areas. With this data and the information it reveals, you can develop the most beneficial policies to safeguard individuals and help you minimize financial risks. Mapping structures in disaster-prone areas allows you to increase policy premiums where damage is likely. You can also use POI data to enhance verification processes for greater fraud detection.

Real Estate

POI data also significantly benefits real estate investing. You can analyze important factors with POI data before renting or buying property, assessing property valuation accurately. Renters and homebuyers typically prefer properties in close proximity to the following:

  • Schools
  • Parks
  • Shopping facilities
  • Amenities
  • Local attractions
  • Hospitals
  • Local business opportunities

The more desirable your investment properties are, the higher your return on investment is. POI provides the data you need to choose the most profitable properties based on location factors, and it can help you predict real-time real estate trends and pricing.

Boost Your Company’s Success With POI Data From dataplor

Understanding the applications of POI data reveals how beneficial it is. Analyzing POI data can help you optimize location, attract more customers, boost efficiency, outperform your competition and increase profits. dataplor offers globally-scaled and human-reviewed POI data to help your company grow and expand successfully.

Our data is human-reviewed, so you receive the most comprehensive and accurate data possible. We also ensure data is certified for privacy, and we don’t collect personally identifiable information, foot traffic data or spending data.

Contact us to learn more about how our data services can enhance your business.