iShop: enabling citizens to explore high streets using their most efficient transport mode

"This project is to radically improve the store locator pages that generate a vast number of inefficient journeys to local retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Every single second, there are 20,000 searches on Google for local information - it's over 1/3rd of all web searches. Most go to the store locator pages of 'bricks and mortar' venues; 76% result in a journey to a related store within 24 hours; 28% result in a purchase (www.thinkwithgoogle.com). The humble store locator page is one of the most trafficked pages on the web, and generally sourced from specialist store locator suppliers such as Bridge, Yext, Storemapper, Bullseye et al.

However, nearly all store locator pages return results by distance (this store is 5.2 miles away, that one is 6.4 miles, etc), which is a highly inefficient way to plan a journey. Urban areas are home to 50%+ of the world's population and frequently plagued by congestion, pollution and scarce parking availability. Public transport, walking and cycling are often much faster, cheaper, healthier alternatives.

iGeolise have built the TravelTime platform to rank and sort locations by the travel time and transport mode of the user's choice. This project will enable us to change how the TravelTime platform returns results, so that;

1\. it seamlessly integrates with existing specialist store locator providers so users can find venues by their available traveltime and transport mode. Deployed this way, TravelTime can quickly become available to many retailers. And

2\. the TravelTime platform will also power our own store locator page that any retailer can quickly and easily add to their web or mobile site (within 30 minutes, without great technical knowledge).

The 'big vision' is to radically improve one of the most used yet inefficient pages on the web and mobile sites of every 'bricks and mortar' organisation in the world, and as a result to make local travel more efficient. To show where public transport is a better option than driving. To schedule several destinations (e.g. multiple shops, then a cafe) into an efficient route. To show locations (e.g. restaurants) convenient for several people to meet up - with their routes there and back.

On a human level, the vision is to enable a chemist's store locator to answer this question for a mum whose child is ill, 'I don't have a car, which chemist can I reach before they close, using public transport and walking'?"