Category: Mobile Payments

Starbucks to launch mobile commerce initiative for the holidays

| October 22, 2014

Company has ambitious plans for the holiday season

Starbucks has some big plans for the holiday season. The company intends to entice consumers into its stores during the holidays by offering mobile ordering and pay services this year. The company plans to launch this initiative in Oregon before possibly rolling it out to other states throughout the country. Starbucks sees a great deal of promise in the mobile commerce space and aims to connect with consumers that are shopping via mobile devices this year.

Starbucks continues to find success by engaging mobile consumers in dynamic ways

Starbucks has managed to establish a strong presence in the mobile payments space. The company teamed with payment solutions provider Square a few years ago and the two companies have managed to engage mobile consumers effectively since then. Using the Starbucks mobile application, consumers can pay for products at certain stores from their mobile devices, providing people with a more convenient way to pay.

Company to introduce new rewards for its loyalty program members

mobile commerce - StarbucksThe company plans to introduce new offers for its loyalty program members. Starbucks will be offering access to special events and previews of new products that it will be offering in the future. Rewards can be redeemed for all of the company’s brands. There is also a chance to win Starbucks coffee for life for those that are making payments from a mobile device.

Consumers will be able to place orders in advance and pay for these orders from their mobile devices

In the coming weeks, Starbucks will be offering people a chance to place orders for drinks and other products from their smartphones. These orders can be placed in advanced, before a consumer actually visits a physical store. Payments can also be made in advance, and consumers can visit a Starbucks store to pick up their purchased products. Starbucks anticipates that it will see significant success with its mobile commerce initiative. Mobile shopping has become quite popular among consumers, especially during the holiday season, when people are looking for more convenient ways to pay for products.

Canadian retailers may experience some turbulence due to mobile commerce

| October 21, 2014

Retailers in Canada might have trouble engaging mobile consumers

Canadian retailers may be in for a turbulent holiday season. Price wars and consumers skittish about mobile and e-commerce may put retailers under significant strain this year during the months of November and December. The growing prevalence of mobile commerce, in particular, may make it harder for some retailers to find traction with many people. These retailers have been investing heavily in their mobile infrastructure, but they may not see returns due to the fact that many consumers are not yet comfortable with the idea of shopping online with a mobile device.

WalMart sees troubling trends emerge in the retail market

WalMart has big plans for the holiday season, as usual, but the company notes that it is seeing trends emerge in the global market that could be trouble for the retail industry. According to David Cheesewright, president of WalMart’s international division, growing competition from companies like Amazon may present problems for traditional retailers. Traditional retailers are having price skirmishes with online companies, and consumers are beginning to favor the latter because of the digital services they offer.

Consumers comfortable with mobile shopping are visiting physical stores less frequently

Canada - Mobile CommerceMany people are still uncomfortable about mobile commerce, but those that are not are spending more money when shopping online from a mobile device. Companies like Amazon are taking steps to provide these people with an enjoyable online shopping experience and as consumers become more involved in digital commerce, they are beginning to shop online more than they visit physical stores.

It may be too late for retailers to adopt mobile initiatives to connect with consumers before the holidays

Mobile commerce has proven to be quite powerful during the holiday season. Shopping from a mobile device helps people avoid long lines and they can benefit from having products delivered to their homes relatively quickly. Retailers that have avoided the mobile space, or have a relatively small presence therein, could find it difficult to connect with consumers in a significant way, and it may be too late for them to introduce effective mobile initiatives before the holidays are here.