Omnichannel

As Facebook defines the future of consumerism in America, chief marketing officers are scrambling to find unique ways to leverage the social network to drive sales. It's important to hook a customer, but to keep them engaged is another story — one that ultimately depends on how much business you can create on the most popular networking site in the world.

As more consumers access social media via mobile devices, it changes the way they research and shop for products and services offline. Knowledge Networks and MediaPost Communications surveyed teen and adult social media users for “The Faces of Social Media” study and found that, in May 2011, 40 percent of respondents accessed social media via their mobile phones. This was an increase from 28 percent who reported doing the same in September 2010.

With the release of a new iPhone app, Starbucks is hoping to attract even more users by adding new options, including the ability to send a mobile gift. The app also combines features from the existing Card Mobile and myStarbucks apps. Customers can use it for payment, to keep track of rewards, find nearby Starbucks locations and check card balances, among other things.

While Staples has apps across platforms serving customers, the metrics were showing it that getting the m-dot strategy right was critical to the overall marketing strategy for the brand because this was the platform on which the customer was engaging with Staples’ other materials. "A huge number of our emails are opened on mobile," said Brian Tilzer, vice president of e-commerce and business development at Staples. "A large number of searches are coming through mobile. It shocked us."

Cloud computing and open source are changing the IT economics of the retail industry, enabling retail chains of all sizes to achieve an integrated view of their business.

New York & Company has officially launched its mobile commerce site, marking a new chapter of growth for the company. The company partnered with Usablenet to power the site. It's compatible with Android, iPhone and Blackberry devices. Featuring its full inventory, the mobile site is designed to cater to the needs of the New York & Company customers' busy, on-the-go lifestyles.

Home Depot partnered with Scanbuy, Inc. to launch an in-store service and ad campaign in which shoppers use their smartphones to scan quick response (QR) codes located on shelves, signage and advertisements.

Republic, a men’s and women’s multibranded fashion retailer, announced the launch of a mobile-optimized website that creates a rich and unique shopping experience for consumers whether they're at home, on the go or in a Republic store.

The new overstockArt.com Oil Paintings app allows consumers to browse through its gallery's robust selection of fine art and use the paintings to decorate their walls and share their home redesigns on the go. Using the built-in camera, users can take photos of their space and visualize oil paintings hanging on their own walls. 

Carnaby, one of London's leading shopping destinations for fashion and lifestyle, has noticed a positive spike in visits to its website since releasing the new color branded QR Code. The hit rate to carnaby.co.uk increased by 258 percent when launched at the beginning of May 2011.