GiftCard Partners Blog

Consumers have begun an organic transition into mobile payments and digital currencies. They are slowly filing cash, check, and credit cards right into the history book, next to the floppy disks and video tapes.

In a time when every industry has gone digital, it makes sense that companies begin to center their workforces around the increase in technology. That's why it is believed that the forward-thinking CVS Caremark has established a new IT branch devoted solely to ecommerce and SEO. According to some experts, the new group will work as the middleman between marketing and IT in an effort to take the company's digital strategy to the next level. For many brands, SEO is a very IT-owned endeavor, while for others, marketing tends to manage this side. It makes sense that companies devote someone to this branch in itself, however, to make sure that the right amount of technological and marketing emphasis are placed with the SEO efforts. It's important to note that most of this is speculation. Right now, CVS Caremark has listed six jobs related to the IT digital team, which is leading
some to speculate about this new shift in SEO management. Some also wonder where mobile falls into this game plan. Which team manages the way mobile versions of sites will run? It's an interesting shift that may change the way many large brands function down the road. Are dedicated mobile teams a trend somewhere in the industry's future?
Read the full article on Press Any Key.

The age old business model "give 'em what they want and they'll keep coming back" still rings true today. Customer experience is critical in maintaining repeat business which drives incremental revenue. Loyal customers also use word-of-mouth to refer their friends and family to your business. In the extremely competitive hotel industry, big chains and boutique hotels alike compete to give busy travelers what they went, when they want, where they want. Providing information to all of their devices and channels becomes critical to giving them the customer experience they need. According to a new study by Magnani Caruso Dutton here are the top 5 pieces of information travelers look for on a hotels mobile site or mobile app:
 

Longtime Olympic sponsor Visa, and cell phone giant Samsung have combined forces to launch a mobile app that will allow for patrons at the 2012 London Olympics to pay for purchases with a wave of their hand. The Visa payWave technology uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to allow consumers to pay with a wave of their mobile phone, with an approved smartphone at a specially designed mobile payment terminal. Although the technology is limited to consumers who have the approved device, this technology is believed to take less time at POS than any credit card, debit card, or cash transaction. Additionally, statistics from credit card comapnies show that consumers tend to spend more per transaction at mobile payment terminals. This technology, if it catches on from the global exposure at the 2012 Summer Games, could revolutionize payment systems. Imagine being able to redeem a gift card with a wave of your hand, instead of waiting in line to redeem your gift. The time efficiency and convenience of payment could revolutionize payments, as well as change the way consumers handle their smartphones. Phones could turn into a consumer’s, phone, computer, wallet, and bank all tucked safely into their pocket.
How do you see Contactless Payment affecting credit, debit, and gift card use going forward? For more information check out this Point of Sale News article.

We have written about and highlighted articles on the topic of tablet eCommerce and why they are becoming significant to retail marketing strategies, mostly from the perspective of prompting more retailers and merchants to accept gift cards online. This past Fall, eMarketer Digital Intelligence predicted that by 2014, 1 in 3 customers would use a tablet to make their online purchases. Tablet users will increase, and 1/3 of them will purchase online, whether or not they have ever made online purchases before. But even more importantly, Forrester Research reported that the purchase conversion rate for shoppers using a traditional PC is 3% and 4% or 5% for shoppers using tablets. So, retailers could see an increased lift, simply by the consumers’ choice of online tools. That speaks to the need for retailers to capture those new tablet users as customers. Are you ready for this? If a gift card holder goes online to purchase with their shiny new tablet; will they be turned away by your website? Will they ever come back? That’s just 1 piece of the tablet pie. Now, tablets aren’t just in the laptop bag or on the desk …they are IN stores, provided by the store! If retailers offer this intriguing, cutting edge technology in stores, more consumers will be introduced to them and begin to feel comfortable with them, and perhaps become more likely to use their tablet at home to make online purchases…This is in-store marketing GENIUS! In the recent Retail TouchPoints article
5 Ways to Use Tablets For In-store Commerce, we see a plethora of customer friendly tablets are being used in-store by retailers and merchants. “Tablets are here to stay; retailers need to embrace them and strongly consider how they can be used in stores to enhance brand experiences and build brand loyalty.” “Though many retailers are adopting this in-store technology, they’re just starting to scratch the surface of its potential. There are many ways retailers can use tablets to transform the in-store experience.” Says Gary Lombardo, Multichannel, Mobile & Social Commerce Product Marketing Lead, Demandware in the
Retail TouchPoints article. We are excited about these technologies and how retailers and merchants will integrate their gift card programs with their online sales efforts. What other cool ways have you seen tablets used in stores?