Retail Shopping Goes Mobile

The 2008 holiday season brought many new challenges to retailers. First off, how to you compete with other stores offering the same merchandise at the same cost? Here's one answer: Problem-solve at the customer's fingertips. On November 9th Sam's Club launched their Gifter Stress Lifter online application which allowed the customer to find additional products that they might not think about during the holidays - at Sam's Club. This helped them change their perceptions of what they can buy at the store. Customers who download the app - available online or on iPhone - are asked to build a profile of a friend or family member. Six questions are asked to offer an insight to the person's behavior. Sam's suggests recommended products for each profile. Products can be shopped via a link through the app store to the wired web site or customers can take their iPhone to the store to buy those items (like a shopping list).


In addition, Meijer has introduced its Meijer Mealbox which helps consumers plan meals, find recipes, and save money. How? It finds recipes based on ingredients that are on sale at the store. The mobile application is tied to the store's inventory and sales. The user can save a list of coupons and when checking out at the store, can scan their phone for instant discounts.


Both of these mobile apps are great for reaching your customers through online channels and increasing sales and traffic to your brick-and-mortar store. What I find really compelling is how sensory and emotional factors play into the online shopping experience, which has proven to be difficult in the past. Now the connection is effortless.

Pandora's web app brings streaming radio anywhere

I discussed the use of iPhone's web apps for online shopping. This post demonstrates how Pandora will change the way people listen to and interact with radio through the use of their web app.

I was at a sushi restaurant recently, sitting at the bar and struck up a conversation with the bartender while listening to their music. It kinda went like this...

Me: "This is a good mix, where did you get it?"

Bartender: "Pandora on my iPhone 3G. I created my own station and it's playing through the speakers in the restaurant."

This means you can listen to Pandora anywhere - your home theater, car, even a jog around the block - on your iPhone. Check it out for yourself.

Read more about Pandora's web app here and be sure to check out the video.

Shop from your iPhone using web apps

The new iPhone 3G has some pretty impressive features, but the most compelling may be the use of web applications. Web apps allow for developers to create their own content. Apple will even help guide you through the Developer Connection with tutorials, videos, sample codes, and reference libraries. You can sign up for a free Apple Developer Connection, which will give you access for submitting your own web app.

The first to take advantage of Apple's web apps for e-tail is AOL Shopping. Their web app has the same functionality as their website - allows the user to search information about the products, read product details, get links to where the items are selling online, and get phone numbers, addresses, and directions to stores - all on your iPhone.

AOL Shopping uses their massive search engine to find the best prices on products offered from multiple retail outlets, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target. Enter your zip code to calculate shipping and tax. You can see available stock and purchase with the touch of a button. So imagine this: You go to a store to find that they are sold out of your product. Instead of calling stores and waiting for someone to check stock, you can bust out your handy iPhone and see for yourself. Not to mention, you can compare prices from a slew of retailers. Genius!