Originally published by Alex Samuely, Mobile Commerce Daily.
Sephora and Starbucks’ exemplary mobile gifting experiences are results of the retailers’ mastery of customer-facing strategies such as discoverability, wide range of payment options and quick delivery, according to a new report from Retail Systems Research.
Retail Systems Research’s sixth annual Digital Gift Cards In 2016: Where Omni-Channel Strategy Meets Customer Expectations report evaluated the gifting experiences of 100 of the United States’ top restaurants, retailers and airlines, with this year’s study taking new criteria, such as omnichannel payments and loyalty components, into account as well. Starbucks, Sephora and The Home Depot nabbed the top three spots this year due to their streamlined in-app purchasing experiences and wide range of payment options, highlighting what other brands must emphasize in their own experiences to maximize sales.
“Each year, CashStar sees more gift card sales being made via our clients’ mobile Web sites and mobile apps,” said Gerry Gilbert, vice president of product at CashStar. “Retailers that don’t offer a mobile purchase option, or those that offer a less than ideal experience, scored lower in the RSR study.
“However, this does not mean that retailers offering a mobile experience for customers can relax. Rather, those retailers need to monitor the purchase, receipt and redemption experience just as regularly as they would other customer experiences.”
The full report can be downloaded from the CashStar Resource Center.
