Content about smartphones

May 7, 2013

Social media giant Facebook is generating lots of buzz with the debut of its app launcher, Facebook Home, which turns existing Android smartphones into a Facebook-centric mobile device. (App launchers are applications that allow users to customize the home screen on their personal devices and add various other functionalities to it.)

April 18, 2013

Study: 76% of women prefer in-store shopping over smartphone

Research findings released by mobile-retail marketer Swirl found that a full 76% of women prefer shopping in stores over shopping via their smartphones.

Boston -- Research findings released Thursday by mobile-retail marketer Swirl found that a full 76% of women prefer shopping in stores over shopping via their smartphones.

“What Women Want When Apparel Shopping,” which polled 1,000 women shoppers, also revealed that 53% of women have between one and five shopping apps on their smartphones. Yet, still, they opt for the store experience.

April 18, 2013

Study: 76% of women prefer in-store shopping over smartphone

Research findings released by mobile-retail marketer Swirl found that a full 76% of women prefer shopping in stores over shopping via their smartphones.

Boston -- Research findings released Thursday by mobile-retail marketer Swirl found that a full 76% of women prefer shopping in stores over shopping via their smartphones.

April 10, 2013

Duane Reade debuts first mobile app

Drugstore operator Duane Reade announced the launch of its first mobile application for iOS devices.

New York -- Drugstore operator Duane Reade announced Wednesday the launch of its first mobile application for iOS devices.

The app, free in the iTunes store, is intended to facilitate and customer access to Duane Reade’s pharmacy services, photo printers, prescription refills, Balance Rewards offers, account information and in-store maps.

April 1, 2013

Polaroid Fotobar, Delray Beach, Fla.

Polaroid Fotobar, a new retail concept from Polaroid, has opened its first location, in Delray Beach, Fla.

Polaroid Fotobar, a new retail concept from Polaroid, has opened its first location, in Delray Beach, Fla. The 2,000-sq.-ft. store is designed to allow consumers to take the images from their smartphones and tablet devices and easily turn them into “museum-quality” art that can be framed and hung on a wall or displayed on a desk.

Polaroid Fotobar has a modern, streamlined look, with sleek lines. The Delray Beach location will serve as a prototype for nine additional cites due to open this year, including locations in New York, Las Vegas, and Boston.

March 28, 2013

Reinventing Retail: Hointer, Seattle

Imagine a store with a back staff of robots, where items appear, almost magically, in the fitting room. A store where customers pay for their purchases in their dressing rooms, without interacting with a single salesperson. You can stop imagining … check out Hointer, an apparel (mostly men’s jeans) shop in Seattle.

Imagine a store with a back staff of robots, where items appear, almost magically, in the fitting room. A store where customers can pay for merchandise without interacting with a single salesperson. You can stop imagining …check out Hointer, an apparel (mostly men’s jeans) shop in Seattle. A second location is set to open by the end of April, at Stanford Mall, in Palo Alto, Calif.

March 18, 2013

Walgreens updates mobile app

Walgreens has announced several updates to its mobile app, most notably the ability to print from Instagram, as well as upload more than five pictures simultaneously for in-store prints.

Deerfield, Ill. — Walgreens has announced several updates to its mobile app, most notably the ability to print from Instagram, as well as upload more than five pictures simultaneously for in-store prints. The updates apply to iPhones and Android devices.

March 15, 2013

Mobile Payments

Consumer use of smartphones and tablets is helping to drive the growth of mobile transactions in retail. Chain Store Age spoke about the growing trend with Don Kingsborough, VP retail services, PayPal, which recorded $14 billion in mobile payments in 2012 and expects to exceed $20 billion this year. According to Kingsborough, PayPal is well-positioned to tap into mobile payment growth as it already has three key elements in place: a large consumer base (55 million-plus in the United States), a network of merchant partners and "ecosystem" partners.

February 27, 2013

The Self-Service Shopper of the Future

By Oren Betzaleli, EVP, head of product and marketing, Retalix

By Oren Betzaleli, EVP, head of product and marketing, Retalix

As smartphones and tablets continue to infiltrate the market, they are increasingly changing the way people interact with each other, receive information, and expect to be served by retailers and service providers. As a result, more and more retailers are starting to offer self-service mobile applications as a popular means to manage customer interaction and relationships.

Retailer-Owned vs. Consumer-Owned Self-Service

February 15, 2013

Menchie's launches mobile app

Yogurt chain Menchie’s said it has launched a new mobile app, Yumm Finder, for iPhones, featuring location finder capabilities and featured promotions.

Encino, Calif. -- Yogurt chain Menchie’s said Friday it has launched a new mobile app, Yumm Finder, for iPhones, featuring location finder capabilities and featured promotions.

Menchie's partnered with RAZUR, based in Atlanta, to develop and release the app.

February 8, 2013

Report: Smartphones dominated Christmas e-commerce traffic

A post-holiday e-commerce report released by technology company Monetate said that, on Christmas Day 2012, 16% of all e-commerce traffic came from smartphones and 15.6% came from tablets, a marked upswing from a year earlier when just 6.4% came from smartphones and 8% from tablets.

Philadelphia -- A post-holiday e-commerce report released Friday by technology company Monetate said that, on Christmas Day 2012, 16% of all e-commerce traffic came from smartphones and 15.6% came from tablets, a marked upswing from a year earlier when just 6.4% came from smartphones and 8% from tablets.

January 16, 2013

Bricks versus Clicks: Four Ways to Convert Showrooming Opportunities

By Mike Romano, SoundBite Communications

By Mike Romano, mromano@soundbite.com

January 16, 2013

Bricks versus Clicks: Four Ways to Convert Showrooming Opportunities

By Mike Romano, SoundBite Communications

By Mike Romano, mromano@soundbite.com

December 27, 2012

Cache launches mobile app

Cache said it has launched a new mobile app shopping experience through its partnership with Usablenet, a mobile and multichannel platform company.

New York -- Cache said Thursday it has launched a new mobile app shopping experience through its partnership with Usablenet, a mobile and multichannel platform company.

Through the mobile app, customers can now receive relevant content and promotions in a user friendly device. This introduction complements Cache's mobile web store and offers the full range of Cache designs.

December 6, 2012

Setting up an iPad Kiosk With iOS 6: Five Easy Steps

By Kevin Hart, CEO, Tekserve

By Kevin Hart, Tekserve

November 30, 2012

Mobile’s Impact on Shopping Reaches the Tipping Point

By Jennifer Friedberg, Rosetta’s Consumer Products & Retail Vertical Leader

By Jennifer Friedberg, jennifer.friedberg@rosetta.com

This is the year that retailers stop being afraid of mobile technologies, and instead, are embracing them as a way to engage with, and to better serve, their customers.

November 27, 2012

App Essentials

The life of any top-level retail executive is hectic, but there’s a whole host of mobile app tools to help manage everyday tasks and ultimately boost efficiency.

From keeping track of to-do lists and meetings to eliminating paper receipts needed for expense reports, here are eight essential iOS and Android apps every retail exec should download — and actually use:

November 26, 2012

Dollar General announces new mobile apps

Dollar General announces its new mobile applications for iPhone and Android smartphones that include sales ads, store locations, coupons and more.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General announces its new mobile applications for iPhone and Android smartphones that include sales ads, store locations, coupons and more.

“Many of our shoppers use mobile phones for shopping and to make purchasing decisions,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s executive VP, division president and chief merchandising officer. “We’re making shopping at Dollar General simpler for our customers by making ads and information available at the touch of a button on their mobile phone.”

November 26, 2012

Dollar General announces new mobile apps

Dollar General announces its new mobile applications for iPhone and Android smartphones that include sales ads, store locations, coupons and more.

Goodlettsville, Tenn. -- Dollar General announces its new mobile applications for iPhone and Android smartphones that include sales ads, store locations, coupons and more.

November 14, 2012

Showrooming to affect up to $1.7 billion in 2012 holiday retail sales

IDC Retail Insights released a new survey report, “Business Strategy: At Hand Versus In Hand — Will Consumers Have the Upper Hand in the 2012 Holiday Showroom Showdown?,” which found that 48 million shoppers will “showroom” or use their smartphones in some manner while they shop in stores during the upcoming winter holiday season.

Framingham, Mass. -- IDC Retail Insights on Wednesday released a new survey report, “Business Strategy: At Hand Versus In Hand — Will Consumers Have the Upper Hand in the 2012 Holiday Showroom Showdown?,” which found that 48 million shoppers will “showroom” or use their smartphones in some manner while they shop in stores during the upcoming winter holiday season.

November 12, 2012

Deloitte survey predicts increase in mobile commerce, sales for the holidays

Smartphones will be retailers’ friend this holiday season, according to Deloitte’s annual survey of spending intentions and trends.

New York -- Smartphones will be retailers’ friend this holiday season, according to Deloitte’s annual survey of spending intentions and trends.

November 5, 2012

Survey finds 27% of adults will use a smartphone or tablet for holiday shopping

More than one-quarter (27%) of U.S. adults will use their smartphone or tablet for their holiday shopping this year, according to new survey by CouponCabin.com.

Whiting, Ind. -- More than one-quarter (27%) of U.S. adults will use their smartphone or tablet for their holiday shopping this year, according to new survey by CouponCabin.com. In addition, 83% of those who will use their smartphone for holiday shopping this year report they will be doing so because of the convenience.

The survey was conducted online nationwide by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin.com from Sept. 26 – Sept. 28, 2012 among 2,523 U.S. adults aged 18 and older.

October 25, 2012

And the Unhappiest Shoppers Are…

As we head into November, I find myself inundated with holiday surveys, with experts weighing in on everything from the busiest shopping days of the season to the impact of smartphones. To be honest, all of the data seem to blend together after a while, leaving me dizzy with projections and predictions.

October 25, 2012

AT&T’s High-Tech, High-Touch Flagship

AT&T’s first-ever flagship is designed to immerse customers in everything AT&T. The 10,000-sq.-ft. emporium, located at 600 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, also offers shoppers a peek into the future, with the first-ever retail demonstrations of the company’s new digital home security system and an example of how wireless technology can help driving via an on-site “connected” car.

October 18, 2012

Study: More than 40% of smartphone and tablet owners ‘showroom’

An online consumer survey shows that nearly half of consumers go into brick-and-mortar stores with their smartphones to research items without buying them and then looked for the same item at a lower price online.

Whiting, Ind. — An online consumer survey shows that nearly half of consumers go into brick-and-mortar stores with their smartphones to research items without buying them and then looked for the same item at a lower price online.

The 2,361-adult survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin.com between Sept. 18 and 20, found that 43% of smartphone and tablet owners have engaged in the practice, known as "showrooming."