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Jos. A. Bank looks to add check-out function to mobile offerings as demand grows

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While Jos. A. Bank is looking to add a commerce element to its mobile-optimized site and iPhone application, nothing has prevented the retailer from driving in-store traffic via mobile.

During the ?How Jos. A. Bank Clothiers is forging a bricks-and-mobile strategy? webinar, two industry executives spoke about how and why the retailer has built its mobile strategy and what other retailers can learn from their example. According to the Jos. A. Bank executive, the company will be adding a check-out function to its mobile site and app, which has been the top-demanded feature.

?The number one question we get is when will check-out be available on the app,? said Peter Zophy, divisional vice president of ecommerce at Jos. A. Banks, Hampstead, MD.

?We recognized a need to be on mobile because it?s where our consumers are and we want to be with them,? he said.

?Our goals were to build engagement, drive foot traffic and provide a sales channel via mobile.?

Use multiple platforms
Jos. A. Bank tapped into mobile by developing a mobile-optimized site.

?A mobile-optimized site is a good way to test out customer preferences because it?s accessible from all mobile devices,? Mr. Zophy said.

Additionally, mobile sites are places that consumers already go and do not require approval from an app store, which speeds up the process.

To promote their mobile site, the chain retailer advertised it everywhere ? through in-store signs, online content and email resources.

According to the Mr. Zophy, online traffic increased approximately ten-fold after replacing the Web site with a mobile site.

Once the company had a firm grasp of what its consumers were using on the mobile site, Jos. A. Banks rolled out an iPhone app.

?The most important features on our app include a store locator, a search function and a product catalogue,? Mr. Zophy said.

Users can also save deals into a virtual wallet on the app.

The most popular feature on the company?s app is the store locator, which drives in-store promotions and engagement, per Mr. Zophy.

Depending on the success of the iPhone app, the company will look into launching on other platforms as well.

Additionally, Jos. A. Bank will be rolling out further mobile initiatives for the holiday season, including QR codes.

?In august, Jos. A. Bank will mail flyers with QR codes and slowly start to track the response,? Mr. Zophy said.

The mobile bar codes will take consumers to landing pages with company information.

?When developing mobile platforms, listen to customers, view your analytics, decide what is most important and rank features on what consumers list as important,? he said.

Replicate an in-store experience
To help with its mobile efforts, Jos. A. Bank used digital platform company 5th Finger.

?The in-store evolution needs to be thought about as much as the mobile experience,? said Patrick Collins, CEO of 5th Finger, San Francisco.

The key to getting consumers hooked onto mobile is by driving in-store traffic.

According to Mr. Collins, more than 92 percent of retail shopping is done in-store and mcommerce only makes up less than one percent of retail sales, signaling that consumers have not yet made the jump to purchasing on their mobile devices.

?It?s important to drive in-store knowledge through providing information on products, sales and reviews in retail apps ? all of which are user experiences in stores,? Mr. Collins said.

According to Mr. Collins, consumers will only check-in if there is an incentive involved, such as a mobile coupon.

Additionally, Mr. Collins said that mobile coupons are receiving four times the number of redemptions that other coupon sources, including email, print and Web.

Another mobile area that retailers should tap into is SMS coupons because they reach 100 percent of their audience and 90 percent are opened within 15 minutes of being sent.

Final Take

Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant at Mobile Marketer, New York

Please click here to access the archived webinar