The HBC Department Store Group has launched new stronger shopping apps for its brands.
Among the latest announcements from the HBC Department Store Group is that it has now launched a new iOS mobile commerce app for both its Lord & Taylor and Hudson’s Bay retail stores.
The application has been designed to span the gap between traditional media and online shopping.
To achieve the mobile app development, HBC has been working with Pounce, a consumer facing mobile commerce application that brings together traditional media with the smartphone and tablet channel. This gives customers the ability to use their mobile devices to purchase merchandise that they have seen in print media such as flyers or catalogs. Pounce remains the only app with approval from Hudson’s Bay and Lord & Taylor which gives customers the ability to shop directly from what they are seeing in print.
This mobile commerce app gives consumers the chance to use their devices to scan images in print media.
The m-shopping app was launched in Canada immediately ahead of the start of the Winter Olympic Games, this year. The timing was deliberate as the Hudson’s Bay is the official apparel sponsor of the Paralympic and Olympic teams that Canada is sending to compete in the Sochi 2014 games. The print ads that the retailer issues just ahead of – and during – the games will be the first that will display the Pounce shopping opportunity for consumers.
Outside of Canada, the smartphone shopping app will also be launched in the United States for Lord & Taylor.
According to Michael Crotty, the HBC chief marketing officer, the purpose of this new effort is to be able to embrace the latest popular technology and combine it with traditional media. He explained that “Pounce creates the opportunity to combine offline and online channels in a seamless way. He also pointed out that the unique capability of the app provides a natural fit with the brand as they expand their omni-channel strategy. It provides not only the opportunity to continue with traditional marketing and to appeal to users of mobile devices, but also the chance to bring them together.
The social network has launched a new application that is providing a far better experience.
The most recent mobile app that has been launched by Facebook, called Paper, is being applauded when compared to the previous application from the social network, which many people find to be far less engaging and far more frustrating.
The purely functional experience from the Facebook Home app has been replaced by visual appeal and ease of use.
With the release of Paper, Facebook has effectively exposed how unappealing its old application actually was and that it is capable of doing a great deal more with its mobile app. Paper is a kind of combination of the existing news feed on a user’s account with news stories and status updates from friends. It has eliminated menus and buttons in favor of more basic screen swipes. Instead of the standard form of the news feed, large images are available (which can be better seen with device tilts), status updates, and videos that auto-play.
This new mobile app also encourages more off-Facebook content consumption.
The reason that it can do this is that users can leave Facebook’s content to view other forms online without having to leave Paper. This can be accomplished by simply selecting the online media category that is preferred on top of the usual items on the news feed. Each of those elements can be seen in the same way as one would flip through a magazine. They include sports. Food, photography, and science, among others.
These new features in addition to a range of stylistic enhancements have made it obvious that Facebook is understanding how vital it is to break away from its older structure. It is trying to avoid the impression that it is aging – as Tuesday represents its tenth birthday. In internet time, the social network is virtually seen as ancient, so it is becoming critical that it remains cutting edge and keeps up its relevance to its users, no matter what device they prefer.
The Paper mobile app is also providing an additional opportunity for Facebook to display ads. It is believed that it won’t be long before users start to see lots of advertising working its way into the rest of the content that is being consumed.