Omnichannel

Lowe’s has launched a home improvement app for the iPhone and iPod. The application is designed to support customers with their home improvement projects and provide tools to help simplify the shopping experience.

Polo Ralph Lauren has bought a solo sponsorship of The New York Times iPad app during September, providing free access to five sections and running ads that, among other things, will provide the only live video of its Fashion Week runway show on Sept. 15.

Best Buy U.K. today unveiled a site for use on smartphones as it aims to improve its multichannel presence. The retailer, which launched its first big-box store in the U.K. in April 2010, has had a disappointing first year as the electricals sector continues to struggle during the ongoing economic downturn.

Shoppers may not have to worry about bulging wallets stuffed with old, crumpled receipts much longer. Retailers have found a solution in e-receipts, though it may come at a price.

What do Solo Cup, Kellogg’s, 3M, and Ecover have in common? They're the latest of more than 100 companies to use online storefronts that incorporate Facebook from Alice.com, an online marketplace for household essentials and e-commerce platform.

Shoppers are demanding more from retailers as a shift is taking place in terms of how consumers want to interact with their favorite brands. Retailers must worry about brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce sites, but also mobile apps and social media developments.

Sephora is enhancing the shopping experience and broadening its mobile reach with a new Google Catalogs application for tablet devices. Google Catalogs is a free app that lets users browse catalogs from Macy’s, Brooks Brothers, Pottery Barn and others via the iPad. Users can also interact with videos and additional content for a rich user experience.

With a little help from their smartphones and tablets, families with school-aged children are hitting stores and websites ready to tackle their back-to-school lists. According to the National Retail Federation’s back-to-school and college surveys conducted by BIGresearch, consumers with smartphones and tablets will use their devices to research products, redeem coupons, look up store information and even make purchases.

After a successful launch this past spring, Macy's is bringing back its customized mobile barcode program, Backstage Pass. In addition to sending new promotional videos to shoppers' phones when they scan the QR codes, customers will also have the chance to win daily shopping sprees.

HSN is letting fashion-savvy consumers shop Queen Latifah’s new line by scanning a QR code featured in its static magazine ad. Consumers can download a QR code reader to shop the collection. The Queen Latifah collection is available exclusively on HSN on Aug. 27.