Karen Millen launches SMS gift vouchers following success with sister retailer Oasis

High street fashion chain Karen Millen has launched a range of SMS-based gift vouchers. The mobile vouchers use Eagle Eye Solutions globally patented technology which enables them to be redeemed in-store by inputting the unique code, sent to the consumers’ phones, into the retailer’s standard EPOS (electronic point of sale) and Chip & PIN systems.

Karen Millen customers can purchase the gift vouchers online via a special Transactional Micro Portal within the retailer’s website in values of £10 to £300. Early evidence of the performance of the mobile vouchers from Oasis – a sister company of Karen Millen – shows this form of voucher outsells paper and plastic vouchers online by a factor of three to one.

The end-to-end voucher solution provides Karen Millen with a Transactional Micro Portal, where consumers can purchase the vouchers, all the way through to a Point of Sale redemption, integrated by BT Expedite. The backend system provides the retailer with real-time transactional data and reporting in addition to financial auditing systems.

John Bovill, IT Director for Aurora Fashions Group – owners of Karen Millen – tells us: “By using new mobile technology, not only can we make the shopping experience more accessible to the challenging demands of daily life, but the data captured offers unprecedented levels of insight into consumer behaviour. In addition, because Eagle Eye Solutions’ mobile vouchers use our existing EPoS and Chip & PIN systems, we have not had to make any new investment of changes to our in-store IT infrastructure.”

Richard Lowe, CEO of BT Expedite, adds: “Mobility is now part of mainstream retailing and we are delighted to see Karen Millen leading the way once again with this new SMS voucher solution integrated with BT Expedite’s EPoS.”

Steve Rothwell, CEO of Eagle Eye Solutions, concludes: “We are working with more and more major retail and lifestyle brands in the UK and soon the US too - helping them to implement effective campaigns which harness the convenience and personal nature of the mobile device. Karen Millen is the latest brand to understand and take advantage of the power of mobile and integrate on to this platform. And Eagle Eye Solutions is proud to be working with such a retailer.”