While StoreXperience is working
with many companies abroad, it’s only
slowly starting to become more popular
in the United States, since the use of
mobile technology is somewhat behind in
America. The use of the in-store mobile
experience came into great emergence in
Europe about a year ago, and Pluche predicts that the mature technology and best
packages will be available to retailers and
marketers in the United States next year.
online and have them shipped to their
home or back to the store,” says Jessica
Harley, vice president of acquisition and
retention marketing at Borders.
For example, Borders’ kiosks allow
customers to log onto
borders.com while
visiting the store and in-store events are
videotaped and posted on the Web for at-home viewing. Harley says this customer-centric integrated marketing strategy is
focused on “how customers shop across
channels versus one or the other.”
Borders focuses primarily on E-mail
direct marketing through the Shortlist — a weekly E-mail for its Rewards
A Vast Retail Landscape
Most marketers are finding that in
order to reach customers, they
have to produce campaigns
and offer sales in multiple
media channels. Many retail-
ers do this by differentiating
the products they sell online
to those offline, or offer
coupons online that drive
customers into the local store.
Also, some stores offer online-
only discounts; products often
posted on the Internet require
a lower margin because they
don’t require shelf space.
“We use brick-and-mortar
stores to drive customers back
to the online experience and
the Web site drives in-store
traffic,” says GSI’s Pahade.
Shanler of Staples agrees
that the Web site is a perfect
way to complement the retail
stores. “Online advertising
gives Staples an opportunity
to reach audience members
where they spend their time Borders’ Shortlist is a weekly E-mail with discounts for its
Rewards members, a critical group that is responsible for a
online, which then brings majority of the bookseller’s sales.
them to our Web site for of-
fers and insights into store
promotions,” she says.
Borders Group Inc., the book and
entertainment seller based in Ann Arbor,
Mich., calls itself a true cross-channel
retailer. “We bring a real bookstore experience to life online at
borders.com and
conversely, we are bringing
borders.com
to stores, giving people the opportunity
to order items they can’t find in the store
members. In addition, the company uses
search engine marketing (SEO), affiliate
marketing, direct mail and some print and
mobile marketing.
It’s the loyalty program that has been
extremely profitable for driving sales.
Rewards members get weekly discounts,
and guidance on what books, movies and
