[OPLIN 4cast] OPLIN 4Cast #309: Keeping it in-house

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OPLIN 4Cast

OPLIN 4Cast #309: Keeping it in-house
November 21st, 2012

As more and more people carry the Internet in their pocket everywhere 
they go - in the form of a smartphone - retailers in brick-and-mortar 
stores are having to deal with some unpleasant competition from online 
stores. Although public libraries increasingly feel that /they/ are 
competing with online book providers, particularly in the area of 
ebooks, stores that sell things have it much worse. A surprising number 
of people look up prices online while they're inside a store, and will 
even make online purchases from another store right then if they find a 
better price. So as the holiday shopping season launches this week, what 
are in-store retailers doing to enhance the physical shopping experience 
and keep the sales that might otherwise go to their online competitors?

  * Your mall's been geofenced with coupons
    <http://upstart.bizjournals.com/companies/rebel-brands/2012/11/19/retailmenot-releases-geofencing-app.html>
    (Upstart/Teresa Novellino) "The move follows a RetailMeNot/Ipsos
    Public affair survey that the company conducted in May 2012 which
    found that over a third of all adults (and 54 percent of those under
    35) have used a smartphone or tablet to research a product or
    service. Just over a third (34 percent) report that they would be
    more inclined to make a purchase shopping in an actual store if they
    could find a good coupon for an item or service on their mobile
    device. About one in seven adults (15 percent) say that they have
    made an online purchase using their mobile device when in a physical
    store because they found a better price online."
  * 6 secrets of successful geofence campaigns
    <http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/6-secrets-of-successful-geofence-campaigns>
    (Mobile Commerce Daily/Rip Gerber) "Marketers are flooding their
    customers: SMS traffic will approach 10 trillion messages this year,
    thanks mostly to SMS campaigns. How do you effectively engage
    customers without drowning them? Smart marketers build geofences
    around key physical sites: stores, arenas, airports, schools, even
    competitor outlets. These fences create zones that trigger an SMS
    message or other action when a customer enters or leaves."
  * How Walmart is going all out with mobile
    <http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57548785-94/how-walmart-is-going-all-out-with-mobile/>
    (CNET/Paul Sloan) "If you opt in, Walmart will use your location to
    provide you with an app designed specifically for that store. Head
    to another Walmart and your app will work for that store. It has
    useful features: You can make a list by speaking into the phone. You
    can search a product by typing in a word or phrase - tissues, say,
    or light bulbs - and the app will show you what aisle to go to. It
    has an interactive map. It shows you promotions specific to that store."
  * Retailer apps locate in-store Black Friday deals via interactive
    maps
    <http://dealnews.com/features/Retailer-Apps-Locate-In-Store-Black-Friday-Deals-via-Interactive-Maps/634351.html>
    (dealnews/Jeff Somogyi) "Customers will be able to browse Black
    Friday promotions that are specific to local Macy's stores, create
    shopping lists, receive push notifications about previously
    unadvertised specials, and know where to find their desired items
    in-store. The Macy's app doesn't feature a 'map' so much as a
    directory, as it lists the department and floors where items can be
    found."

*/Fencing fact:/*

"Geofencing" is probably a new term to many of us. It refers to any 
technology that uses a mobile device's Global Positioning System (GPS) 
to keep track of where people are - whether they be shoppers, employees, 
friends, or children.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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