An App for That, Too: How Mobile Is Changing Shopping

Thanks Ali for sharing this on 'Shapping' (hey i just made up a new word)

Via Adage: These Six Products Give Retailers a Reason to Be Excited About the Platform

by Natalie Zmuda
Published: March 01, 2010

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Mobile phones are fast becoming the way consumers find coupons, research products, compare prices and make purchases. It makes shopping easier for consumers, but that doesn't mean retailers are thrilled at the prospect of consumers consulting mobile phones from their aisles -- after all, does Best Buy want you to know that the item in your cart can be had cheaper at Amazon -- and purchased right now on your phone?

"There is fear, but it is the new reality," said Dan Butcher, a reporter at Mobile Marketer. "Retailers are becoming aware that consumers are using their phones in the store to make decisions. They're realizing that they need to support that platform."

Indeed, retailers who don't embrace the technology now will be left to play catch-up in the years to come. But there is reason for retailers to be excited about the shifting mobile landscape. Many of the mobile applications coming onto the market actually benefit bricks-and-mortar retail by improving the in-store experience or driving traffic to stores that are either nearby or boast the best deals.

There are dozens of retail-related mobile applications on the market today, making it impossible to highlight them all. Here are half a dozen that stand out for the impact they're having on the way consumers shop.

SHOPSAVVY
Launched: November 2008 by Big in Japan

WHAT IT DOES: With this app, users can comparison shop by scanning a product's bar code with a camera phone. ShopSavvy finds the lowest prices online and at nearby brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as coupons, and lets users make transactions. Last month, ShopSavvy reported more than 42 million scans. Available on the iPhone, iPod Touch, Android and Nokia phones.

WORTH WATCHING: Walmart is slated to soon open up its grocery pricing , meaning consumers will be able to quickly see if it has cheaper cereal than their local grocery chain. Retailers are realizing it can be advantageous to embrace apps. Said Big in Japan co-founder Alexander Muse: "They realize, sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But if I stay out of the conversation, I never win."


YOWZA
Launched: June 2009 by Greg Grunberg, an actor on "Heroes," and August Trometer, CEO- Thunderstone Media

WHAT IT DOES: Using GPS to determine shoppers' locations, Yowza delivers coupons to nearby stores. Users can set the parameters between 1 mile and 50 miles. The app boasts more than 1 million unique users on the iPhone and iPod Touch and an additional 4 million users through a syndication deal for BlackBerry, Android and Palm.

WORTH WATCHING: Some retailers fear easy access to coupons means full-price shoppers may become discount hunters. But Messrs. Grunberg and Trometer say it attracts a younger consumer base willing to spend more. Retailers using Yowza can also make near-instant updates to their offers, so items that aren't selling can be promoted and offers can be deleted when items are sold out.


RETREVOQ
Launched: December 2009 by Retrevo.com

WHAT IT DOES: More of a mobile advisor than an application, RetrevoQ uses texts and tweets to dispense info. Shoppers can text 41411 or tweet @retrevoq including the make and model of the electronics product they're considering, and RetrevoQ will respond with advice on whether it's a good buy, a fair price, the price range available online for that product and a link to reviews at Retrevo.com, a consumer-electronics shopping and review site.

WORTH WATCHING: Few retailers have the bandwidth or expertise to answer each and every consumer query on-premise, making this a welcome service. However, for those retailers like Best Buy or HHGregg that pride themselves on in-store expertise and count it as a differentiator, RetrevoQ levels the playing field.


FASTMALL
Launched: December 2009 by MindSmack

WHAT IT DOES: This iPhone and iPod Touch app provides interactive maps of malls, highlighting elevators and the quickest route to stores, as well as helping shoppers find food vendors and remember where their cars are parked. A shake of the phone turns up the nearest restroom location. Shoppers can also make lists and access coupons.

WORTH WATCHING: The death of the mall has been touted over and over during the last decade. And while it's true that shoppers are turning to new formats or going online, all many of them want is a simpler shopping experience. Making mall shopping easier and more interactive through mobile apps has the potential to win over some consumers.


THEFIND: WHERE TO SHOP
Launched: December 2009 by TheFind

WHAT IT DOES: Shoppers can find which stores carry the products they're looking for and where those stores are located, as well as compare prices with nearby retailers and online retailers. The app will even calculate the driving cost to each store. It is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

WORTH WATCHING: Mobile price comparison is going to become a bigger and bigger issue for retailers. While having the shopper in-store used to mean a better chance of clinching the sale, retailers now need to find creative ways to ensure they're not regularly bypassed for cheaper options.


GROCERYIQ
Launched: September 2008 by Free State Labs

WHAT IT DOES: Coupons.com acquired the popular grocery app in January 2009 and released version 2.0 in December. The iPhone and iPod Touch app allows consumers to create grocery lists, organize them, access coupons and share lists with others. Shoppers can also take photos of bar codes to add items to their lists and create lists of frequently or previously purchased items.

WORTH WATCHING: The day of the paper list is gone, as is the paper coupon, at least as far as millennials are concerned. As this group ages, starting careers and families, consumer package goods players and grocery retailers will be paying close attention to the way they shop. Mobile apps like this one have the potential to make shopping more interactive, easy and fun for these tech-savvy consumers.

13th street - interactive horror film

Yep... the coolest thing i've seen for a while. A 'pick-a-path' adventure experience carried out via mobile and cinema. Awesome! Great work Jung von Matt

Flashlight Projector Map Concept

Nice idea... why use a screen to augment reality when you can just shine the layers anywhere! Thanks Toxel

February 21st, 2010 | Tech |

Tamtam flashlight map concept tells you where to go by projecting directions right in front of you, thus generating a whole new playful and intuitive way of experiencing navigation.

In case the user gets lost, Tamtam can also project a more traditional map onto any surface. The map is zoomable and scrollable like any digital map.

Gatsby: Connecting Foursquare Friends Who Like Cats and Circuses

Seems like the logical next step i'd say... Thanks Ang via Mashable

Here’s an interesting idea. The recently launched service Gatsby aims to connect locals on Foursquare who share the same interests.

The setup is simple. Sign up for Gatsby with your Foursquare () account, which will add Gatsby as a friend, and tag yourself with your favorite interests — say, “Water Polo,” or “Cranberries.” (Or, as the site’s screenshots suggest, “Cats” and “Circus”.) Then, continue on your merry way.

As you check in at your usual haunts, Gatsby will automatically determine if there are other Foursquare/Gatsby users in your area who share your affinity for cranberries, and attempt to connect you. When a potential match occurs, Gatsby sends a text message to both parties with the first names of each user and a list of the shared interests. If both agree to connect, Gatsby can also set up a temporary SMS relay so that the users can text each other (and potentially meet in person) without revealing their mobile numbers.

The idea is intriguing, and could really take location-based services to a whole new level by bridging the gap between semi-anonymous lists of check-ins and real-time, in-person social networking. However, meeting strangers face-to-face based on scant social network details is sure to turn some more cautious users away.

What do you think? Could this be the ultimate location-based ice-breaking service, or a recipe for a big privacy nightmare? Let us know in the comments.

ALDI launch iphone interface

ALDI Austria have recently launched a cut down version of their ALDI/HOFER website designed for mobiles. It’s main focus is weekly offers and grocery range. Whilst you cannot purchase items through ALDI, this interface is a leap forward for the retailler who have plans to extend the technology into other markets.

Australian first: online florist for iPhone

Queensland based florist, Brisbane City Blooms , has become the Australia’s first and only florist with an online store built for iPhone users.

Developed by enflexion, an Australian interactive design firm, the Brisbane City Blooms iPhone interface was created off the back of Flower Store In a Box, a dedicated e-commerce shopfront designed for florists.

Drew Wentzel, principal of enflexion said, “We are introducing florists to e-commerce through the iPhone. This is a new opportunity for online florists who are looking for new ways to reach their customers and want to engage with customers who need to make purchases while they are on the run.”

The enflexion Flower Store In a Box iPhone interface has been designed for retailers who want to capitalise on the iPhone to present an enhanced mobile shopping experience in a secure online environment.

Customers can shop for flowers by occasion, specific types of flowers or shop by price ranges. The interface has been optimised for the iPhone’s screen and users will not need to scroll or zoom in on a page to get more details as they would in a normal web page.

Buying has also been made easier with a simplified 128-bit secure checkout system that accepts all major credit cards. The level of security is similar to what users will expect from secure online transactions completed on a desktop computer or laptop.

Kirsty Farrell, owner of Brisbane City Blooms said: “The online florist industry is a competitive market and we see the iPhone store front as an additional channel for us to reach prospective customers who have an immediate need. We’re really excited with this new opportunity.”
Article from Insider Retailer 25/02/2010

IN SEARCH OF THICKER CONNECTIONS / THE SOCIAL WEB

Nice post from Contagious about the what, where and why of trusted sources

A lapse in trust between friends and peers, and why all social media connections are not created equal

A couple of days ago, Patricia McDonald of BBH Labs in New York put up a thought-provoking blog post entitled 'Will Social Media Eat Itself?' In this post, she responded to the startling finding, by the Edelman Trust Barometer, 'that we trust our friends and peers considerably less than we did two years ago'. Apparently, in the US, just 25% of respondents said that they regarded friends and peers as very/extremely credible - that's 20 points less than 2008. Go here for the full post - it's a great read.

We'll get into the loss of trust in real world environments towards the end, but for now, let's consider the 'media' angle of this social circumspection.

McDonald posits some different theories for the loss of trust with regard to the social web, for example: In times of trouble, we look to more established sources of information. As social media gets older, more commercial players treat it like old media and damage its credibility. Smart commercial uses of social information have been slow to emerge.

However, the suggestion we find most interesting is this:

As the network gets bigger, connections weaken.

BINGO.

We've been pondering this for a while. It is the great fallacy of social media that numbers mean power, and that all online connections are created equal. For example, on Facebook, there are people we communicate with all the time - close friends, family members etc. These we will term thick connections, as they facilitate regular exchange of content and sentiment.

Then, there are those creepy people from school that we agreed to be friends with because...well, that's Facebook, innit. These are thin connections. They are weak. They are barely used. They are breakable. They are there to bolster the numbers. And they were exploited deliciously and notoriously by Burger King at the beginning of 2009 with its Whopper Sacrifice app in which Facebook users were invited to sacrifice 10 thin connections in exchange for a free burger. 234,000 friends were dropped in five days, QED.

It's the different between blood and water. Online connections vary in 'thickness'. It's a fact of the web.

Twitter, too, is equally guilty of the numbers game, giving rise to a kind of hollow activism. Just because thousands of people are baying in 140 characters for policy change in Iran / the head of Jan Moir / Rage Against the Machine for Christmas Number One, it doesn't mean it will actually happen. (In the first two instances, it didn't. In the third, it was only when those people were persuaded to go one step further than retweeting, or adding their name to a Facebook group by actually buying the single that any kind of positive effect was produced).

There is no greater indication of the fact that numbers do not create de facto meaning than Chat Roulette, the random web chat service in which visitors are randomly paired with a stranger on the other side of the world. Acting as a kind of penis media delivery service, Chat Roulette exploded from 500 users in January to 10,000 by the beginning of February, despite the fact that most conversations either last only a few seconds or end in a picture of a scrotum. What does this mean? Nothing, probably. That we're bored. That we enjoy a little dose of unpredictability and randomness from the comfort of our own homes. Nothing that we didn't already know about human nature.

The rise of niche networks populated with enthusiasts and experts on a given subject has been predicted for a while. As McDonald points out, 'for a while this seemed counter-intuitive as I considered the all-conquering power of Facebook and the wisdom of fishing where the fish are.' However, the joy of a niche network is that all connections are thick connections. Information is shared on a regular basis on specific subjects by people who know or at least recognise each other's value, and enjoy interaction.

Dunbar's number is a theoretical number at which a community stops being 'stable' - the number at which people in the group cease to know and understand every other member of the community. The most commonly cited representative of this number is 150. It's fascinating to note that Facebook has more than 400m active users, yet the average user has 130 friends, pretty close to Dunbar's number. Even if marketers are judging the worth of Facebook on sheer weight of numbers, it appears that we know how to limit our social circles to manageable levels, tech or no tech.

It is here, we suspect, that the benefits for marketers may lie. By providing a utility, a platform, a sensitive addition to these connections, they get thicker, and stronger, and so does their association with the brand. Rather than an irritant, another clattering cymbal in the overwhelming noise of a network borne up by a million thin connections, the brand weaves itself into the DNA of a community. It is as much part of the experience as the participants.

Some other points to bear in mind:

In boom times, when we dedicate ourselves to the reckless accumulation of more stuff, it's more likely that purchase decisions will be made on the recommendation of a random peer or acquaintance. When money is less readily available and people are notably spending less, any purchase they do make is likely to be the result of more careful research from a number of different sources, both established and casual. It's not necessarily a reflection on the peer-to-peer relationship, more an indication of overall caution in the marketplace.

And finally - it's worth bearing in mind how exactly the report defines 'friend or peer'. As far as we could tell, the report makes no distinction between 'people that make me laugh on Twitter' and 'John and Sarah next door'. They're all just friends or peers. So - this isn't necessarily just indicative of a failure of trust in the connections that underpin our online lives. It points to something bigger. (Have a look at Richard Edelman's discussion of the results here.)

It's no coincidence that these results have emerged immediately following an absolute nail-biter of a year in which the global banking system came close to collapse, and many traditional sources of authority revealed themselves to be as clueless as the man on the street. Trust is not like energy. It can be both created, and destroyed, with devastating consequences.

According to the report, trust in the government is up, and trust in corporations (at least in the US) is slowly returning, yet trust in ALL information sources is down. Clearly, it takes time to rebuild what once was. So if we have less trust in our governments to protect us and our bankers to look after our money and our media outlets to be objective and our online social networks to be populated by anything other than mildly amusing strangers and old classmates, then what do we have left? The dichotomy of a world in which we are more in touch but less connected than ever before, and a feeling that if you want something doing, you know who your best bet is going to be