Content about smartphones

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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores launched its 2012 Annual Meeting mobile application and the NACDS mobile website has been fully updated with information about this meeting and all 2012 NACDS events. Combined, these mobile resources offer Annual Meeting attendees practical tools that they will find helpful in advanced planning and onsite implementation, NACDS said.

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?

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu announced the launch of a custom-built mobile application designed to give customers the tools they need to be efficient while shopping at its stores.

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Retailers have always been about enhancing the shopping experience, but there are two factors this year that really should underscore the importance in that customer focus. Differentiating a retail shopping trip by experience is a lot friendlier to the margins because a shopper willing to trade on shopping experience also is willing to spend a little more.

BOSTON — A provider of rich media mobile and social merchandising found that less than one-third of the top 100 Internet retailers tout websites that are optimal for tablet commerce.

A mass merchandise retailer based in the Midwest has become the latest chain to join the move toward smartphone apps that allow customers to manage their pharmacy prescriptions. Fresh off the heels of its merger with Omaha, Neb.-based 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.


Rather than take off for Christmas, the editors of Drug Store News took a look at the year ahead and the stories, issues and trends that will make headlines in retail pharmacy in 2012.

MADISON, Wis. — Remington, a maker of men’s and women’s grooming and styling products, has introduced a mobile site designed to enhance consumers' shopping experience, just in time for the holiday shopping season.

Consumers now are able to easily access a mobile-optimized Remingtonproducts.com from their smartphones, in addition to traditional online shopping or visiting one of the brand's mass retailers.

NEW YORK — Verve Wireless, a mobile advertising company, on Thursday announced the results of a study conducted across the 1,300 mobile publishers that use the Verve advertising platform. The study reinforces that consumers and their smartphones are inseparable when it comes to shopping.

According to the survey, more than 60% of respondents used their smartphone for shopping one or more times each month. Almost half of those consumers used their smartphone to look up information on price, followed by product information (24%), reviews (14%) and where to buy (14%).

NEW YORK — While advances in smartphones and social media use have lead many consumers to shop online, those same technologies are being utilized by retailers to get customers back into the stores. New shopping apps, mobile technologies and social media rewards are moving buying decisions back into the stores, according to WSL/Strategic Retail's second annual "Buzz to Buy 2.0" trend report.

ATLANTA — NeoMedia Technologies on Thursday reported a dramatic 240% rise in mobile bar code scans via its scanning software application NeoReader for Black Friday 2011 compared with last year, including 13% growth in 2-D scans over 1-D.