JR/Duty Free engages shoppers at Ben Gurion Airport over AI-driven Juniper network

“JR/Duty Free has several business uses for the Wi-Fi infrastructure,” says Avi Aciman, vice president and CIO of James Richardson Heinemann Duty Free. “First and foremost, the smooth operations of our warehouses depend on reliable Wi-Fi to support both our warehouse management system and our office network.”

"Our goal to improve the shopping experience by using advanced IT technologies,” says Aciman.

“We were looking for a solution to shorten the troubleshooting process, with a simple management platform in the cloud and also bring us to the leading edge of technology with AI solutions,” he says. 

A Juniper wireless network, driven by Mist AI, delivers superior employee experiences and streamlines IT operations for JR/Duty Free. Reliable connectivity in stores, offices, and warehouses enables 1500 employees in Israel to easily access critical business applications from their mobile devices anywhere in the office or store.

Efficient warehouse operations reduce labor costs and human errors, while ensuring that store shelves are filled with the items shoppers want to buy. Goods in the two warehouses are tracked from the moment they arrive until they are transported to the stores.

JR/Duty Free stores are designed to delight with digital displays that engage shoppers. With fast, reliable Wi-Fi, JR/Duty Free can connect those displays wirelessly. Eliminating cabling has made the screens more visually appealing and significantly reduced network costs.  

“We needed 500 switch ports to support the screens, but with Juniper Mist Wi-Fi everywhere, we only need 80 physical ports,” he says. “Juniper Mist saves us money and the mess of running cable below the floors.” 

“Simplicity and flexibility are the key to the network,” says Aciman.

AI-driven network operations give Aciman and his team back precious time. Mist Wireless Assurance and Marvis Virtual Network Assistant streamline operations, optimize user experiences, and proactively correct issues.

“AI was a big part of the decision to choose Juniper,” he says. “With Mist AI, it’s very easy to figure out how to fix a problem, which helps us reduce costly store visits for troubleshooting. We can type a regular sentence and Marvis gives us the answer."

JR/Duty Free is exploring Mist User Engagement services to increase customer engagement and optimize merchandising. "After we integrate Juniper Mist with JR/Duty Free’s future mobile app, customer communication and engagement will be amazing,” says Aciman.

JR/Duty Free can offer shoppers mobile check-in and customized greetings. Sales associates can be alerted when a customer uses the retailer’s pickup service. Shoppers can make a purchase at one location and pick up the package at a different location or on their return trip.