In summary, this article discusses Target's newest innovation. Target is properly using technology to lure in their customers. What they will be doing is sending a text message/ email with coupons each month to registered users. These customers will be able to bring their phone to the register at Target during check out and have a unique barcode scanned from their phone. This way a customer does not have to worry about forgetting coupons or dealing with the hassle of cutting the coupons out. Since this is still a very new experiment for Target they are running into some kinks. Even with these kinks customers are still rapidly registering for this service and responding favorably. By using the technology of creating scan bars on a cell phone screen customers can save some time and money.
Personally, I find this new effort by Target to be very innovative and a step in the right direction. I feel that the service is now reaching out to a different target group of consumers, these being the younger shoppers. For example, my mother is more likely to sit down and cut out coupons to use at the store, whereas I would normally just buy the product without the coupon. Now, I am able to avoid the wasted time spent looking through flyers to find the coupons I need and just hand my cell phone to the cashier.
Target is using technology in a favorable way. The company seems to understand that the years of people looking through merchandise circulars has become outdated. More people are using email to search through weekly circulars and as a place to find good deals.
After some research it seems that Target is not the only chain to be accepting mobile coupons. Most notably is the attempt by Procter & Gamble, Clorox, Del Monte, Kimberly-Clark and General Mills. This spring the companies will be running a test, in association with Kroger Co. grocery chains, to accept mobile coupons just as Target is doing. Their plan is to reach out to consumers between the ages of 25 - 34 who are not as likely to clip coupons as older consumers.
Using this new technology businesses are able to reach out to new consumers, which means bettering their business. By using already implemented coupon programs all companies need to do is advertise the coupons in a place where the new target group of consumers are more prone to looking, their email.
I also feel that this is an advantage for Target over their biggest competitor, Wal-Mart. Now consumers are able to achieve lower priced items, as they would at Wal-mart, without the hassle of paper coupons, just like at Wal-Mart.
Personally, I am very happy to hear about this program. Although I am a little younger than the target age group, I know I will be benefiting from this program. The ease of having coupons sent to my Smartphone and just having it scanned at the counter is very enticing.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/35803064 - original article
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9078918/5_companies_to_test_mobile_coupons_at_grocery_chain - grocery chain that will be implementing new coupon technology.
Being in college, Target is one of the main stores I go to to purchase the majority of my needs. Getting any sort of discount is a huge help, but the majority of times I forget or lost the coupons I recieve through my email. Having the coupons be scannable through my phone may be one of the best innovations out there. I think a ton of people with think of this as a huge help, and Target may even be able to lure new customers to the store due to this new convenience. I cannot wait to see what Target does with this in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea! It's a win/win situation for both the consumer and the supplier. Comsumers will be able to save more money because of the convenience of the mobile coupons. I think that Target and the other stores that are taking part in this new venture will build a stronger consumer base. Since saving money at these stores will be that much easier, I feel like the consumer would be more prone to shopping there as opposed to competing stores that only provide paper coupons. Target could also track the coupon usage and send more coupons to the customers that use them most often.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if Target successfully gets this idea to work! I tend to shop at stores that do give out coupons, but half the time I forget to cut them out or take them with me when I need them. I carry my phone will me all the time though, so if this plan is a success, I could save more money and so could a lot of other people. Although they are giving their customers discounts on their products, I think they will ultimately gain more business than if they didn't give out scannable bar codes because I think their customer base will expand and their current customers will be even more proned to buying from their store. I'm excited to see what happens with this.
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