Author: BWild

Tapestry brings NFC technology to the fashion industry

| December 1, 2012

 

NFC Technology FashionTapestry aims to bridge a gap with NFC technology

Fashion and technology are becoming increasingly entwined. The fashion industry has long sought to be on the cutting edge of every sector it is involved in and the advent of mobile technology may help push the industry into new territory. There are currently a wide variety of companies that combine fashion with digital technology, but a new startup in the United Kingdom called Tapestry aims to make use of NFC technology to connect consumers with actual products.

Application allows consumers to build virtual wardrobes

Tapestry offers a free mobile application for the Android and iOS platforms. This application aims to connect a consumer’s online identify with actual, physical products in stores they may be visiting. The application is equipped with a barcode scanner that will allow users to scan a variety of codes that will provide them with information on particular products. It also leverages NFC technology as a way to allow users to build a virtual wardrobe filled with products they may want to own.

Tapestry could be used as a personalized shopping channel

The application is meant to create a personalized mobile shopping channel for mobile consumers. Retailers may find the Tapestry application useful as it provides them with data concerning the interests of particular consumers and demographics. The platform also provide retailers with a way to provide these consumers with discounts and loyalty rewards, thus creating a dynamic connection between businesses and shoppers. Tapestry notes that the use of the application in this way could encourage consumers to add more products to their virtual wardrobes in order to receive more attention from retailers.

NFC technology gaining ground outside of mobile commerce

NFC technology is most often used in the field of mobile commerce, where it can facilitate mobile payments. The technology has been sparingly used in the field of marketing, but NFC is relatively rare in the fashion industry. Tapestry is one of the few applications outside of the mobile commerce sector that leverages NFC technology to connect with consumers in the fashion industry.

eBay sees major gains during holiday shopping weekend

| November 29, 2012

 

eBay Holiday Shopping Mobile CommerceeBay reports mobile sales performance

eBay has experienced a very promising beginning to the holiday shopping season this year. The online retail giant has released data concerning mobile sales that were made over the Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend. This data comes from eBay itself, as well as its Marketplaces, PayPal, and GSI Commerce divisions. The company will not be providing overall sales information this year, but its mobile sales have been made publicly available, showing a strong performance for the company’s various mobile commerce initiatives.

Mobile sales up across the board

According to eBay, the company saw a 133% increase in mobile transactions in the U.S. on Thanksgiving day from what they had been in 2011. The company also saw a 153% increase in mobile volume on Black Friday over the levels it had been last year. PayPal experienced a 173% increase in global mobile payment volume on Thanksgiving day and a 193^ increase in global mobile payment volume on Black Friday. GSI Commerce experienced similar results.

Positive performance largely due to focus on mobile consumers

eBay notes that much of the success it has seen in the mobile commerce realm comes from the company’s increased focus on mobile consumers. eBay has been positioning itself to engage these consumers in an aggressive way, well before the holiday season even began. The company predicts that mobile commerce and similar services will shape this year’s holiday shopping season and any companies not focused on appealing to mobile consumers could miss out on an ideal opportunity.

Mobile commerce becoming more popular in wake of holiday shopping

There is still a lot of time left in the 2012 holiday season and eBay expects to continue seeing positive results from its mobile commerce initiatives. Other retailers have been reporting similar results from their own focus on mobile commerce. The performance of these ventures is expected to boost the popularity of mobile commerce within the retail industry, encouraging more companies to adopt platforms that allow consumers to pay for products with their mobile devices.