I’m now into week three of my all-mobile shopping, and I’m crossing lots off of my list. I kicked off integrating mobile into every holiday purchase with a Thanksgiving blitz that carried into Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With holiday weekend sales not as high as projected—and down 11 percent from a year ago—retailers are continuing to pull out all of the stops. That means there’s even more to dive into over these next two-plus weeks. Here’s week three.
Mobile Shopping Experience #4: Macy’s Has It (or, Close Enough)
There’s been tremendous buzz around Macy’s integrating image search into its app. The promise is simple and, for mobile-centric shoppers, creates a new level of usability. Snap a picture of what you’re looking for, choose a product category, and the app searches Macys.com for the same or similar items. It could be anything—something from a Macy’s store, something from a competitive site, or, even, a great sweater someone’s wearing at the table next to you.
Though simple, these capabilities have the power to change the mobile shopping game. Even with a well-enabled mobile site or app, consumers are still left searching, restarting and searching again, without the luxury of working on a larger-screen desktop or laptop, with plenty of space for new tabs, windows and literal side-by-side comparisons. Image search eliminates the hassle of trying to guess how to search for that sweater, scarf, bag or throw rug—the app’s got your back (plus tens of thousands of products cataloged).
I snap a pic of a friend’s daughter, who’s got a great pair of UGG knit boots my own daughter would love—and, knowing UGGs isn’t a line Macy’s carries, I’m curious to see what turns up. I hop on the Macy’s app and upload the image, and then zoom in on the boots, before letting the search work its magic. The result? I got some great boot suggestions, some shoe suggestions, plus some other complementary items. None were quite as close as the items that turned up when I subsequently searched “UGG knit” in the Macy’s app, but image search certainly got me going in the right direction. Within the first 10 results, I found a pair of similar gray knit boots, along with a special offer on Macy’s competitive brand.
I haven’t taken image search in-store yet, but I suspect the combination image/barcode scanner is powerful, especially when it comes to showrooming. Why search Amazon when you can simply snap or scan and find that same product—in the size, color or fit you’re looking for—on Macys.com? And with the other cross-over promotions Macy’s is testing—same-day delivery, expanded iBeacon messaging, smart fitting rooms, and more—I’d be inclined to give the app a shot for comparison shopping and ordering.
Rating: The recommendations weren’t as spot-on as I’d hoped, but they were related and gave me some complementary products to consider. The brand’s app, however, is easy to search and navigate—I found the boots I was looking for via search, not the image recognition. But, at the end of the day, I got what I wanted, at a better price than I was expecting. That’s a win.
Mobile Shopping Experience #5: Coupon Apps with Solid Targeting Capabilities
Mobile coupon sites and apps have become a staple in the digital shopping landscape, and it’s clear why: 96 percent of consumers use coupons, and more than four in five use them regularly. Within the mobile space, usage has increased significantly year-over-year; today, 15 percent of consumers say they rely mostly on mobile coupons, versus 10 percent last year and just 4 percent in 2010. Moms are already heavy on the digital coupon bandwagon, with 68 percent using their smartphones to compare prices, nearly three in five tracking down coupons and deals, and half determining what to buy.
As I sat watching the holiday parade near Old Town Center in downtown Los Gatos, I received a notification from RetailMeNot touting deals at Anthropologie. Thanks to being within their geofence, I’ve got nine special offers I can’t pass up. Seeing an opportunity to score a great gift for my wife at an equally great discount, in I go. Their top offer? Thirty percent off all sale items—and with the holiday deals in-store, there’s plenty to choose from. I browse the jewelry and accessories, and even some great stuff for the house, scanning the various offers while I’m actively checking out the in-store call-outs.
Result: I converted—in-store. However, it was mobile that drove me into Anthropologie in the first place, and an app-based discount that compelled me to buy. Coupon apps are powerful. They’re a solid go-to for the already-mobile shopper, but also a great way to drive in-store sales. Virtually all smartphone users keep their device within an arm’s length. That’s a powerful connection for brands to leverage via these now-ubiquitous apps.
Mobile Shopping Experience #6: Email Still Matters
Relevance is increasingly critical when it comes to email marketing. Think about Gmail: special offers go into users’ “Promotions” tab. If your shoppers are anything like me, they scan the subject lines before trashing virtually all of those carefully developed messages. It’s essential you grab their attention in a millisecond and deliver from there. Perfect example: Ebates sent an email with the subject “Your Friday Hot Deals: Amazon 30% Off | Gap 30% Off | Saks Fifth Avenue Up To 40% Off.” All are stores that I’ve visited in the last week or so. All are compelling discounts. And, when I opened the email, it delivered those discounts, plus additional codes and cash back offers from Ebates. What’s more, that made me scan the email for other offers—Ebags, American Eagle Outfitters, Puma, Sports Authority,
And just like that, I’m on SportsAuthority.com searching for the GoPro I didn’t buy over the Thanksgiving weekend. They don’t have the same model I was searching for, but they do have the next model up—but I run into the same exclusions I did over the holiday weekend. No matter. Thanks to the email from Ebates, I can still get 6 percent cash back on my purchase. And that’s something!
Results: Knowing I probably won’t get a double-digit discount on such a hot item this season, I convert. What’s more, I’m converting on a site I don’t typically frequent and getting a deal I feel good about.
My list is long, and there’s a lot more to test out over the next two weeks. And it seems everywhere I turn, big brands are getting into the “app-happy holiday” spirit—just last week JCPenney rolled out its new iPhone app, designed to make gift-finding even easier, with better shipping options and better search functionality. I know where I’m headed next.
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