Facebook to Offer Beacons to Retailers

According to Re/Code, Facebook is launching a project that will place beacon technology in brick-and-mortar retail stores. Beacons enable retailers to engage with shoppers by sending messages to their smart phones. The beacons would be provided free of charge to participating retailers.

Facebook has just completed the pilot phase which showed increased sales stemming from the technology. Studies have shown that Beacon messages to shoppers with iOS and Android apps could drive up to $4.1 billion in U.S. sales this year and up to 10 times that next year, according to the news outlet.