In an effort to increase retail business and boost customer engagement, Harry & David, a unique company that specializes in food gift delivery, has chosen to partner with SIM Partners and its local marketing automation tool, Velocity.
The local marketing solution enables businesses to manage location data and leverage the information to more effectively market to targeted areas. With the new technology, Harry & David hopes to improve store location data management and optimize location-based mobile searches.
Google search interest using the words “near me” has doubled in the past year, with 80% of these searches originating from mobile devices. This presents a golden opportunity for brands to manage their location data and ensure that their business is visible in proximity-based searches.
In addition to the visibility provided by the Velocity platform, the software allows Harry & David to provide accurate information about the inventory of local stores. This increases foot traffic in Harry & David brick-and-mortar stores, a feature of the brand that is sometimes overlooked in favor of their online presence. Customers will be able to easily access the inventory of the closest Harry & David location, along with local in-store promotions.
“Velocity will make the customer experience more engaging for mobile shoppers.” David Mathews, Senior VP of Marketing for Harry & David, told Loyalty360. “Ensuring the best experience across the customer journey is a top priority for Harry & David, and that journey often begins with a local ‘near me’ search on a mobile device. With Velocity, Harry & David is applying our high standard of quality across the customer journey, by combining data and content to create more contextually relevant experiences.”
Tari Haro, CMO of SIM Partners, explained to Loyalty360 how the SIM Partners solution will benefit Harry & David’s customer experience.
“Velocity will boost retail store traffic and sales by making it easier for mobile shoppers to find Harry & David store locations when and where customers are looking for premium gourmet gifts,” Haro said. “By scaling location data and relevant content about their products for mobile search, Harry & David will attract more shoppers to their permanent brick-and-mortar stores and seasonal kiosks and pop-up shops.”