Responding to the growing demand from retailers for mobile technology they can use in store, Digby has launched an In-store Mobile Module – a new feature set that enables retailers to engage and communicate with their customers from the moment they enter the store to the time they leave, all through the retailer’s branded application.
Through the customer’s ability to check-in, scan product barcodes and promotional QR codes, a retailer can track mobile activities inside the store and serve up relevant promotional messages in real time to drive sales, enhance loyalty, and gain insight into consumer behaviors to serve them better.
These new in-store features complement Digby’s industry-leading Mobile Commerce Module which enables customers to access, search, browse and purchase products from the retailer’s mobile optimized website and/or rich app from home and when mobile.
“Digby is one of the key leaders, and our primary partner, in mobility solutions for retailers, and we’re excited that they are investing in technology that will empower retailers to deliver engaging in-store experiences,” said Michael Clifford, Chief Information Officer for Whole Foods Market. “To date, most consumers’ experiences with mobile relate to e-commerce transactions. However, delighting customers while they are in our stores is critical to Whole Foods Market’s success, and smartphone applications are enabling entirely new opportunities to take this to higher levels.”
It is predicted that half of the US population will own a smartphone by the end of the year*, and retailers want to quickly take advantage of this growing opportunity to engage with customers and offer relevant information and promotions within their own branded rich app while in their stores. Increasingly, the smartphone is the gateway into a new consumer engagement model that takes into account the context of location and activity.
“The proliferation of today’s smartphone has forever changed the way that consumers interact with their favorite retail brands, especially while in store,” said David Sikora, President and CEO of Digby. “Through our efforts with Whole Foods Market, who we believe to be the masters of the in-store experience, and through our partnerships with more than 50 top retailers, we will help them strategically deploy elements of the Digby in-store mobile module to create an amazing in-store mobile experience.”
Typical use cases for Digby’s In-Store Mobile Module include:
• Store Visit Based Marketing: When a customer walks into the store with the retailer’s branded app installed on their smartphone, the retailer can send a welcome message** through the rich app with the message “Would you like to check-in?” Once “checked-in,” the retailer’s rich app automatically opens and customers can receive exclusive offers, hear about new product introductions and news about in-store events. Customers could then update their Facebook page telling their friends where they are and letting them know about the great in-store deals.
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In-store Product Research: Within the retailer’s branded app, barcode scanning and product look-up empower product research so customers can access additional information about specific products to make a more educated purchase decision. As customers walk through the store, they can scan product UPC codes to view complete product descriptions, multiple product images, ratings and reviews, add to wish list and registry, and even see a 30-second video demonstration from a product expert. The retailer can then push a special offer or promotional message to the customer to entice them to purchase the product while in the store.
• QR Code Scan: A customer’s ability to scan QR codes within the retailer’s branded app and have them link to any number of offers or responses unlocks countless possibilities for making a retail store mobile-aware. In a QR pilot program, users were able to rate a sampling station by scanning QR codes. The activity not only generated insights into product preferences, but also created an opportunity to serve relevant promotions.
• Store Exit: Upon leaving the store, retailers can send customers a notification within the branded app that could include an invitation to an exit survey, a loyalty promotion or even a simple “thank you” for visiting the store.
• Promotion Management and Analytics Dashboard: The Promotion Management and Analytics Dashboard provides the tools for retailers to easily track, measure and understand consumer mobile use case patterns, create in-store campaigns that link relevant messages and offers to customer mobile activities, and manage those campaigns to success.
Through Digby’s in-store mobile module, retailers now have the mobile tools to engage with their customers while in the store and to drive sales and relevant promotions through multiple mobile touch points that are completely measurable, all through the retailers’ branded apps. At the same time, consumers are empowered by getting access to relevant information and offers so they can make a more educated purchase decision.
