Content about smartphone

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Hispanics represent one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the United States, so naturally, it would behoove retailers to pay heed to this growing trend.

(THE NEWS: Hispanic consumers' buying power to grow 50% by 2015. For the complete story, click here.)

Given all the attention around the hotly contested Express Scripts-Medco merger, Drug Store News thought we’d ask our C2B consumer reporters, if all things were equal and every pharmacy accepted their insurance, what would be the most important factors in choosing a pharmacy? Ninety-four percent said location/convenience, followed by customer service (50%). That's just a taste of what they told us.

Move over dump bins, endcap displays and newspaper circulars and make room for the new high-tech kid on the retail block — digitization.
Smartphones and the concept of digital coupons may not be so new, but what is relatively new to the mass market and becoming increasingly pervasive throughout the industry is the use of mobile technologies and social networking platforms — by both retailers and manufacturers — to customize offers for today’s shopper.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — GlaxoSmithKline on Thursday morning presented exactly how technology might improve appropriate patient self-selection before a panel convened by the Food and Drug Administration to explore expanding the prescripton-to-over-the-counter switch paradigm by incorporating technology and/or pharmacy participation in the application process.

NEW YORK — During the 2011 holiday season, the top retail applications and websites combined — including Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart — reached nearly 60% of smartphone owners, according to Nielsen.

“The majority of smartphone owners used their devices for shopping this past holiday season,” said John Burbank, president of strategic initiatives at Nielsen. “Mobile shopping has reached scale and is only going to grow as smartphone penetration continues to rise.”

BOSTON — Nearly 75% of smartphone-owning consumers would switch brands if they were offered real-time mobile promotions delivered to their smartphones while shopping in a grocery or drug store aisle, according to a new survey.

In the first DSN/C2B Mobile Insights report, we examine what consumers think about shopping for health and beauty online vs. brick-and-mortar retailers. Overall, nearly 8-of-10 consumers bought health-and-beauty-aid items online in the past year. Did they leave your store to buy? Did they use their smartphones to make a purchase and use YOUR STORE as a “showroom” for ANOTHER RETAILER’S website?

1) Have you purchased a health or beauty product online in the past year?

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens on Tuesday announced the availability of an exclusive new offering for customers that check in at any Walgreens store nationwide through Foursquare.

BOSTON — A survey sponsored by in-store commerce provider AisleBuyer found that nearly 40% of smartphone-carrying shoppers have abandoned their in-store purchases because of long lines, while 21% will abandon their purchases if there are no registers open.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Clorox said it has launched a smartphone application and mobile website that will provide smartphone users access to information about ingredients used in its products.

NEW YORK — MagnaCare, a health plan management company, on Thursday announced its partnership with Telcare on that company's new wireless-enabled blood glucose meter. Through this partnership, MagnaCare's clients will be among the first in the country to receive the Telcare BGM meter.

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Mass merchandise chain Shopko has launched a new mobile application for pharmacy customers, the chain said Tuesday.

Fresh off the heals of its merger with Pamida, Shopko announced the launch of an app for Blackberry, Android and iPhone users that will allow customers to refill and manage their pharmacy prescriptions.