Apps
July 28, 2015 at 3:47 pm
Following its split from PayPal last week, eBay announced it’s closing down a number of standalone mobile applications, including eBay Valet, eBay Fashion and eBay Motors, and is retiring its on-demand delivery service eBay Now. On the latter item, the company says that eBay Now was “always intended” as a pilot program, and while it…
July 15, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Traditional sampling strategy has always prioritized quantity over quality. With this approach, marketers are left questioning if the end result will justify the cost of giving free product away. Despite popular belief, it's through targeted sampling strategies that brands can experience the best results. When executed correctly, sampling is extremely effective and has the ability…
July 9, 2015 at 2:30 pm
This June, the headlines exploded with story after story about Facebook offering free beacons to retailers. Finally, the potential to bring e-commerce-level shopper engagement to brick-and-mortar stores through beacons became more plausible. Since Facebook has a massive, always-on user base, this opens doors for widespread beacon use, overcoming the major hurdle of beacons relying on…
July 8, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Sephora maximizes its mobile commerce possibilities with more relevant and personal content in a recent update to its iPhone application, which introduces a beauty match search feature into its Beauty Board. The beauty retailer’s latest app refresh launches new features such as an in-store scanner and a new search capability in its Beauty Board to…
June 26, 2015 at 3:54 pm
The past decade saw one of the most historic shifts in retailers’ business models. They've successfully evolved to hybrid retail models, which blend brick-and-mortar stores with digital properties. With this transformation comes new risks, however, often taking advantage of the digital retail experience. For example, just last year 15 major retailers reported data breaches where…
June 25, 2015 at 3:13 pm
Beacons are a mobile marketing technology poised to transform the way consumers shop in stores and the ways stores market to and interact with their customers. Push notifications triggered by beacons — tiny store-based transmitters that communicate with retailers’ mobile apps on consumers’ smartphones via Bluetooth Low Energy wireless technology — will influence $4.1 billion…
June 25, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Wal-Mart has introduced an Apple Watch application, suggesting that the device could have a broad market appeal while cementing the retailer’s role as a leader in mobile retail. While there's been no shortage of marketers jumping in with Apple Watch apps since the device, Wal-Mart’s entry here is notable given the retailer’s value positioning, which…
June 17, 2015 at 2:49 pm
Amazon.com is considering a crowdsourced delivery solution that uses individuals to deliver packages and existing retailers to store them, all powered by a mobile app. The initiative, referenced internally as On My Way, could allow Amazon to gain control over shipping costs that grew 31 percent last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
June 10, 2015 at 4:39 pm
Mobile commerce (m-commerce) has grown 42 percent annually for the past four years. Consumers are becoming comfortable transacting on their phones, and more retailers are investing in mobile to woo these small-screen shoppers. As the market grows, however, so too does the competition for thumb space and user retention. To compete, brands need to win…
May 28, 2015 at 3:24 pm
When e-readers disrupted the publishing industry, many consumers swore they would stay loyal to the old-fashioned paper book. Technology made inroads however, and the number of people who own e-readers is still growing. Retail has followed a similar course. Online shopping has revolutionized the industry, and mobile is a key reason why. Still, people crave…
