Hudson's Bay Invests In M-Commerce

January 23, 2014

Hudson's Bay Company plans to launch a new mobile shopping application for both Hudson's Bay and Lord & Taylor.  HBC is partnering with Pounce, a consumer-facing mobile app, to integrate traditional media with m-commerce, providing customers the opportunity to purchase merchandise displayed in print media using tablets and smartphones.  According to Pounce, it is the only Hudson's Bay and Lord & Taylor approved mobile app that allows customers to instantly buy products seen in print by simply scanning an image.

The app launched in Canada today, just ahead of this year's Olympic Winter Games.  Hudson's Bay is the official apparel sponsor of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams for the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and the upcoming ads for HBC Olympic apparel will be the first to display the Pounce mobile app opportunity for customers.  The app also launched in the United States for Lord & Taylor.

"Our goal with this initiative is to complement traditional media with popular mobile technology, and Pounce creates the opportunity to combine offline and online channels in a seamless way," said Michael Crotty, chief marketing officer for HBC. "Pounce's unique capability is a natural fit as we roll-out and grow our omnichannel strategy for HBC."

"Traditional media is a successful marketing channel, but consumers also want the power of instant purchasing," said Avital Yachin, CEO of Pounce.  Our technology turns static print into digital storefronts, satisfying the instant purchasing needs of consumers."

Hudson's Bay customers can download Pounce free on iOS devices via the Apple App Store.

Source: Retailing Today