Tag: mobile shopping app

The giant retail chain is testing the new smartphone based program following the release of its Cartwheel app.

The Cartwheel app first debuted three years ago and now Target mobile rewards appear to be the next step. In the company’s ongoing effort to promote a better m-commerce experience, a pilot program is underway in locations in four cities.

The Minneapolis based retailer is testing the new mobile commerce feature in four stores.

There will be 126 stores with the new Cartwheel Perks Target mobile rewards program. This is the largest update the company’s mobile app has ever experienced. If it proves to be successful, it may experience a nationwide rollout. The current version of the mobile app makes it possible for customers to find product deals on their smartphones. Then, when they reach the checkout counter, they can apply the savings and pay less for their purchases.

There have already been 27 million people who have signed up for the mobile commerce app and its benefits. There are discounts available for up to 700 Target products with this application. Since it was first introduced, Cartwheel has generated a total saving of about $600 million for Target customer purchases.

Now the retailer is testing to see if the Target mobile rewards program can be equally successful.

The pilot for the mobile shopping rewards program is running at the stores located in Houston, San Diego, Denver and St. Louis. The feature is available to customers who update their mobile app to the latest version of Cartwheel. The program makes it possible for customers to collect rewards that can be redeemed for merchandise. Reward merchandise ranges from $10 to $20 in value. They can include free laundry detergent, sunglasses, athletic apparel and other items.

Customers use Cartwheel Perks to collect 10 points each time they spend a dollar at Target. Exceptions include gift cards and CVS pharmacy purchases. The first redemption level is at 5,000 points, at which time they can select from among 25 possible reward items.

A spokesperson for the company, Eddie Baeb, explained that “We’ll continue to test it and see how guests respond.” He explained that the Target mobile rewards program may one day extend to other stores and possibly to online purchases, too.

As the world’s biggest retailer discovers smartphones are a top traffic driver, it has changed directions.

The Walmart mobile shopping app is rolling out in Canada where smartphone users are a prime driver of traffic. The retailer’s new application provides shoppers with a spectrum of different features including a favorites list.

The beta tests were critical to the development of this app, which started off quite complicated.

According to Walmart Canada executive vice president of technology and ecommerce, Rick Neuman, the application was greatly simplified. At first it was overly complicated, but Neuman said the experience has been sculpted into something much more appealing. To him, the favorites list was his preferred feature on the Walmart mobile shopping app.

“The other day I made a favourites list, handed it to my wife and she was able to get a $120 basket together in four minutes for a great camping weekend with my girls,” he stated.

The Walmart mobile shopping app was created through a Razorfish Canada collaboration.

This mobile commerce app was developed specifically for the Canadian market. It was based on a survey conducted across that country. The survey sought to determine what people wanted most from Walmart. This was followed by beta testing by customers the retailer hand-picked for the purpose. Later, the retailer’s employee base were able to take part in testing the final version.

The release of this m-commerce application is a direct reflection of the growing importance of the role of mobile in Walmart shopping. June 2016 represented the first time more traffic came from smartphones and tablets than from desktops and laptops.

“That’s a huge shift for us,” said Neuman. He pointed out that the company is seeing “massive potential.”

Walmart currently boasts more than 400 store locations across the nation. This is especially significant as the Canadian marketplace has always been a challenging one for department store retailers. The majority of sales still occur at bricks-and-mortar stores. However, the company has acknowledged that offering digital solutions is an integral component of doing business in the current ecosystem. The launch of the Walmart mobile shopping app is a major move for the company within that environment.