Location-based mobile marketing: how to bring customers back into your store

How do you get people into physical stores today? This question concerns marketing professionals in brick-and-mortar retail more than ever. Much of the customer journey now happens online, attention is fragmented, and traditional advertising measures are measurably losing impact.

At the same time, studies from Austria show that younger target groups, particularly Generation Z, still enjoy shopping in physical stores — provided the store is relevant to them, digitally integrated, and present at the right moment. (1)

In most cases, success depends on the interaction of three factors: attention, reason, and trust. Only when all three come together does real foot traffic occur.

For many customers, the journey to a physical store begins online. In most cases, the first step in a purchasing process is a quick search on social media or Google. People look at photos, read reviews, and decide within seconds whether a visit is worth it.

That’s why a strong social media presence and a well-maintained Google listing — including up-to-date opening hours, appealing visuals, and authentic customer reviews — are essential. If a business fails to convince at this stage, it is unlikely to be noticed offline.

At the same time, AI-generated answers are becoming increasingly important, as more and more people direct their questions to LLM systems such as ChatGPT. To appear in these contexts, retailers need consistent, structured, and publicly accessible information on their websites — especially clearly described services and regularly updated content.

After this initial online research, the journey continues: into the store itself. Which brings us to the next step — creating a clear reason to walk in.