Toys “R” Us, Simon Malls and InStyle magazine have partnered with Shopkick to allow their customers to use the mobile application for rewards and discounts. Sports Authority will expand its Shopkick partnership nationwide later this year.
Doug Galen, chief revenue officer of Shopkick, said Toys “R” Us will launch with the app in September in 100 stores in the New York metropolitan area, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. Simon Malls implemented Shopkick in its 250 malls around the US last week, said Galen. He added that Sports Authority, which partnered with Shopkick last year, will take its use of the app nationwide to all 470 stores before the holidays.
The InStyle partnership went live August 17, adding a domain within the Shopkick app that spotlights products featured in the magazine, said Shopkick CEO and cofounder Cyriac Roeding at a company one-year anniversary event in New York.
Shopkick allows consumers to check in at a retail location via an in-store audio signal. Once consumers check in, they are rewarded with points that can be redeemed for offers, such as discounts or free products. Shopkick cofounder and chief product officer Jeff Sellinger referred to the Shopkick Signal as a “real world click.”
Shopkick’s existing retail partners include Best Buy, Macy’s and American Eagle Outfitters. Fred Grover, EVP of American Eagle, said at the event that one-third of the retailer’s approximately 1,000 stores features Shopkick and that the company plans to expand the partnership to all locations.
Shopkick also partners with consumer packaged goods companies such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Kraft Foods. Ed Kaczmarek, director of innovation and consumer experiences at Kraft Foods, said “the primary reason [Kraft partnered with Shopkick] is we want to get to mobile loyalty.” He said the app lets the company use rewards points and establish relevance. During last year’s holiday season, Kraft rewarded consumers who scanned its cheese products via Shopkick with an exclusive recipe, he said.
“Mobile is the closest we can get to the point of purchase in an interactive manner,” Kaczmarek said, adding that mobile marketing initiatives such as Shopkick drive more engagement than mobile display ad campaigns.
Sellinger said marketers can connect their loyalty programs or add email opt-ins to the Shopkick app. He said Target had integrated its RedCard loyalty program with the app, but was not sure if any companies had included an email opt-in.
Galen noted that 2.2 million consumers use Shopkick, with the typical user being a 27-year-old female with one child. He said that 59% of Shopkick’s users are female and 49% are in the 25-to-39 age demographic. Consumers have scanned about 7 million products since the app launched last August, he said.
Shopkick has also teamed with broadcast network The CW to enable consumers to tag TV ads that run on the network with their mobile devices to receive offers. Roeding said the partnership will launch in the fall but declined to say how many advertisers signed on to the initiative. Kaczmarek said Kraft is “evaluating” the program.
