Retailers are being encouraged to fight the showrooming trend this Christmas shopping period with the very technology that makes showrooming possible.
Andrew Lowe, founder of the Pointpal mobile loyalty and rewards platform, says retailers can fight back against the showrooming trend with digital coupons and other store-linked incentives – all delivered instantly in-store via mobile.
‘More than 50 percent of Australians have a smart phone. If Australia follows the predicted trends* in the US, more than half of those people will “showroom” this Christmas shopping period. But retailers can fight back using smartphones and observant in-store staff,’ says Lowe.
‘Long-term marketing strategies for bricks-and-mortar retailers are important but with only six weeks to Christmas, retailers need to embrace mobile technology and move quickly to make the most of this shopping season.’
According to Lowe, observant in-store staff that identify customers they feel are showrooming can offer digital coupons on the spot using a special Pointpal QR code. Upon scanning, the QR code transforms into a valid coupon within the Pointpal app that can be redeemed in-store or online.
‘Importantly, you’ve created a connection between your brand and the consumer and given them a future reward to be brand loyal however they choose to purchase,’ said Lowe. ‘You’re also gaining location, behaviour and purchase data for future marketing planning.’
Lowe says brand loyal shoppers already belonging to a Pointpal-based loyalty program can be pushed special offer coupons when they enter a brand store encouraging immediate purchase.
Pointpal provides a smartphone app (on iPhone and Android) and a data-rich platform to provide a wide variety of loyalty and rewards types including stamps, points, coupons, surveys and digital redemption. This gives brands and merchants the flexibility to develop a loyalty program to suit their customers needs and to meet marketing objectives. Pointpal’s client list includes Oporto, Subway, Thomas Dux, Bakers Delight and Stella Artois in Australia & Singapore.
ENDS
Stats for Editors
*Accenture 2012 US Home Shopping Research Survey released October 24, 2012
• 56% of shoppers are likely to go to a store to look for a gift item then search online for the best price and purchase online.
• If they find a better price online, 27% are likely to purchase online while still shopping
About Pointpal
Pointpal is Australia and Singapore’s leading mobile loyalty platform. The Pointpal platform incorporates an intuitive smartphone app for consumers with a sophisticated analytics back-end that delivers real-time consumer and marketing insight for marketers. Pointpal’s client list includes Oporto, Subway, Bakers Delight and Stella Artois.
Consumers download the free Pointpal app to access a range of retail, entertainment, food and services offers that they can browse, find, locate and add to their personal Pointpal mobile loyalty wallet. With loyalty cards around 40 percent of the average Australian wallet’s weight, Pointpal on a smartphone instantly trims this unnecessary bulk while enabling collection and redemption of loyalty points as usual. <br><br> For more information visit us at: www.getpointpal.com <br> Facebook: Pointpal | Twitter: @Pointpal