Apps

Starbucks Uses its App to Generate Customer Loyalty
August 13, 2018 at 10:59 am

In episode 158 of Total Retail Talks, Total Retail Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Shawn Sweeney, vice president of digital experience at Starbucks, during the Customer Relationship Management Conference (CRMC) in Chicago earlier this summer. Sweeney discusses how the coffee brand is using its popular mobile application to bridge customers’ online and offline experiences, creating stronger relationships…

Ditching Mobile Search for Voice? Not So Fast
July 31, 2018 at 9:20 am

New consumer preferences make clear that it’s necessary for brands to invest in voice — but that doesn’t mean ditching mobile search.

The Retail Differentiator: The Brand App
July 26, 2018 at 9:06 am

In today’s media-saturated and consumer-empowered world, retail companies are under extreme pressure to differentiate themselves or risk being lost in a constantly expanding sea of white noise. This is especially true of the brand app, in that a continually growing landscape of apps has left many brands hesitant to put much budget or effort into an…

Report: How Amazon Fixed its Prime Day Glitches
July 23, 2018 at 1:54 pm

Amazon.com failed to secure enough servers to handle the surge in traffic on Prime Day, causing it to launch a scaled-down backup front page and temporarily kill off all international traffic, according to internal Amazon documents obtained by CNBC. As we reported, Amazon suffered glitches at the start of Prime Day on July 16, slowing sales on…

6 Essentials for Creating Retail-Focused Augmented Reality Apps
June 29, 2018 at 10:19 am

Augmented reality (AR) apps deliver rich, highly interactive, two-way experiences that visually engage customers and extend products and services to fingertip access, both inside and outside the store. Central to AR apps is the fact that they're tailor-made for mobile devices. Houzz reports that mobile users who engage AR are 11 times more likely to…

Retail Strategies: Integrated Omnichannel is the Next Step
June 21, 2018 at 9:21 am

Retail isn’t dead, it has just moved — online. It’s no secret that the proliferation of mobile has altered countless elements of consumers’ lives, including the way they shop. While the in-store experience isn't without its advantages — tactile and instant gratification, to name a few — the convenience of on-the-go browsing and in-the-moment purchasing…

Postmates, Doordash, Grubhub, or UberEATS: Hacks, Hints and Hotdogs
June 6, 2018 at 10:49 am

Retail isn’t dead, it has just moved — online. It’s no secret that the proliferation of mobile has altered countless elements of consumers’ lives, including the way they shop. While the in-store experience isn’t without its advantages — tactile and instant gratification, to name a few — the convenience of on-the-go browsing and in-the-moment purchasing […]

Learning From the Holiday Season, Part 2
May 18, 2018 at 9:09 am

This is part two of a three-part series. You can read part one here.  Mobile commerce, whether on a dedicated app or a responsive website, has redefined the shopping habits of millions of consumers. As this channel becomes more critical than ever for retailers, Astound Commerce’s Mobile Matters report takes a look at the state…

8 Leading Retail Mobile Apps
May 14, 2018 at 10:51 am

Mobile apps have not only enhanced customer experience, but they've also enabled companies to manage retail operations more efficiently. App development for retail businesses has gained popularity. Companies use mobile apps to showcase products and services, while also offering an engagement point bridging digital and physical commerce. Besides facilitating the purchasing process, apps provide an…