GameStop is gearing up for the upcoming holiday season by announcing updates to its mobile application, designed to heighten customer engagement through enhanced personalization features and user-friendly interface.

GameStop fans that download the updated app will also be eligible to win 1,000,000 PowerUp Rewards points. The retailer sees more than 50 percent of its online traffic come from mobile devices, and aims to make its digital experience even more rewarding for consumers.

?Gamestop?s intent is to create a better digital experience even and rewarding for our customers, which I think the updated app accomplishes,? said Mark Ghermezian, co-founder and CEO of Appboy, New York, NY. ?All of the new features on the app and the promotion will help generate user downloads during the month of October leading up to the holidays.

?The challenge is for Gamestop to retain these users beyond the download.?

Enticing rewards
GameStop is hoping to entice more consumers to download the app with the opportunity to win a vast amount of rewards points. Only users who have PowerUp Rewards accounts may enter.

Customers can use the rewards points to purchase digital and physical merchandise from the brand?s catalog in the app or on its Web site. Points can also be redeemed for discounts and coupons.

PowerUp offers weekly coupons on its mobile and Web sites, along with ?steal of the week? items. The app has quick access to PowerUp accounts.

The loyalty program has experienced high success rates, with over 36 million members around the world (see story).

For consumers hoping to trade in used electronics for other purchases, one of the app?s new features is a Trade Center that offers trade price estimates before the user gets to a GameStop store.

Users can then browse for a location to bring the items to via the store locator in the app.

?Always on the go customers will appreciate the access to the information they need to make a purchase through the app and the added benefit of a direct connection to GameStop?s physical locations, which is a key component of the experience,? said Li-at Karpel Gurwicz, vice president of marketing at Como, New York, NY.

New features
Other added features include an improved user-friendly interface and PowerUp Rewards dashboard. It also provides expanded capabilities for its game library.

Users will have an easier time managing their online game library, and can list desired games from the app.

The app contains a streamlined ?Pick Up at Store? option, which lets customers check item availability and hold a product at a store to be picked up at a later time.

?A high percentage of GameStop's market is clearly using mobile to make purchases, so optimizing its mobile experience is integral to driving sales through digital channels,? said Mike Cochrane, sales director at Atimi, Vancouver, BC. ?The ?Pick up at Store? functionality is valuable for driving in-stores sales and capturing those that prefer to purchase from brick-and-mortar locations.?

Account management will be made simpler, with easily viewable offers applicable in-store. Users will also be able to access digital purchases and manage store and console preferences more readily.

?By offering the ability to check on item availability at their local Gamestop location and the ability to hold an item, the app allows consumers to be more efficient with their time and alleviates the need to go to different locations to find a particular product,? Atimi?s Mr. Cochrane said.

?Also, offering additional content, videos, and images will keep users engaged and give them another reason to come back to the app.?

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York