26
MOBILERETAILING
MOBILE OFFERS
MORE WAYS TO PAY
Despite the recession, any technology that extends the ways consumers
can pay for goods can’t be ignored – particularly if it also improves
customer service and brand image.
T
orex chief marketing of½ cer, Doug
Hargrove said the latest loyalty and
promotions systems enable retailers
to analyse customer shopping habits to create
individualised offers.
“These offers can then be sent using a
number of methods that suit today’s busy
consumers, such as text message, email or
broadcast using Bluetooth technology,” he
said. “This ensures that customers can access
and redeem offers using their preferred sales
channel and offers a more convenient and
¾ exible way of shopping.”
Cameron Olsen, Smart Technology
Solutions (STS) vice president of business
development said Near Field Communication
(NFC) was a key enabling mobile retailing
technology. But he stressed security was still
a developing area: “NFC is the next logical
step to follow contactless in the world of
payments and, although the technology has
been developed, there are a few crucial
details that need to be ironed out before it
becomes a reality – none more pressing than
where the security element of the technology to ½ nancial institutions, billing and prepay POS devices were best suited to retailers
will be stored,” he said. systems, electronic top-up of a prepaid virtual who want to offer customer assistance on the
Olsen added: “Until a best practice has account and integrated 3-D Secure and EMV shop¾ oor, those where the store is extended
been established by the key players in the transaction handling”. outside its usual footprint (like football
mobile handset and networking space the However, like Olsen, Young said that matches) and where there are real-time and
technology will not be rolled out effectively. for this to succeed as a service, the issue space constraints on the shop¾ oor.
However, once it is, the possibilities are of security must be given the utmost In the last scenario, mobile PoS is also
endless for both consumers and merchants, importance. “It’s important that retailers making retail inroads into queue busting
as ultimately your phone cannot only become seek a complete end-to-end secure and processes. Here Handpoint said retailers
your “card” but also your ‘terminal’.” compliant e-commerce payment service for really want queue management solutions.
Sean Young, ½ eld sales executive of YESpay authorising and settling high-volume online “The process of “busting queues” by picking
pointed out that mobile retailing should be payment transactions originating from retailer customers out of a queue and servicing
viewed as part of a cross-channel strategy websites,” he explained. them on the spot with a handheld payment
to maximise its bene½ ts to the retailer and Mobile retail technology vendor, device can be dif½ cult to manage in a store,”
customer alike. Referencing his company’s Handpoint told Retail Technology that mobile it warned, advising retailers to prioritise
e-wallet offering, he said retailers could point-of-sale (PoS) is estimated to replace staff training when deploying such systems
offer “high-speed secure web payments, up to one out of every four ½ xed tills in the to maximise their value in such tough times
multiple payment options that are stored coming years, retailers have begun trialling – just as they have learned to do with
on the customer’s secure wallet user it in various scenarios and the concept is mobile technology in the warehouse and
account, payments processing through links quickly gaining momentum. It said handheld back of½ ce.
RETAIL TECHNOLOGY APRIL/MAY 2009
26-31 Mobile.indd 26 6/5/09 9:54:17 am
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