Smartphone usage in-store is growing.  According to a study by WSL/Strategic Retail, roughly half of all smartphone owners use their devices while shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, a 21 percentage point increase from a year ago. If brick-and-mortar locations become showrooms which lead to comparison shopping on mobile, with purchases ultimately taking place while in store, but on a competitor’s site or app instead of the store’s checkout, it is obvious where this trend will lead. It is critical that those brands offer tools to make sure the “carting” or ”basket” actually takes place in the physical store. Branded shopping apps with thin information and commerce only represent one of the options, and don’t truly engage the user beyond the tools that are already available via a site. Deep mobile apps that drive brand loyalty and encourage the physical browsing experience by providing immediate feedback, product reviews, additional content and social connections will drive a brand’s relationship with its users further. Remember, there should be a distinguishing reason for it to be in a mobile app.

We can’t always open up the box in the store and a set of images on an app can only tell so much of the story. Research may take place at home, but why then leave the comfort of your home to head to the store when online retailers are offering immediate discounts, free shipping, free returns, and other perks?

Retailers need to start providing even deeper tools that complement the in-store shopping experience.  A browsing experience shouldn’t be limited by one input method—seamless interaction can create an immediate response and opportunity. The use of augmented reality or other interactive tools (eventual NFC in iOS to round out Android’s nascent play?) to bring images and objects to life or supply video brochures, enhanced customer reviews and content is something that should become a standard in our industry. Allowing the user to comment on the fit of a dress right from an app, rate the style and share information with a friend while they are in-store, provides the incentive for their social circles to come and try it on themselves. Close the circle by providing a loyalty program that rewards users for in-store reviews, with offers that are normally found in a catalog or online, passing immediate savings on to the customer in-store via in-app promotions.

It’s also possible to bring fun into the mix, which is what Smashing Ideas did by working closely with Toys R Us to launch Geoffrey’s Jungle, an iPad app that engages kids in a virtual world experience that allows them to “Like” products and share with their parents.  Kids design and name their Jungle-themed avatar, hop on a boat with Geoffrey and explore product-themed islands full of engaging games and activities. This is only a first step, but it can lead to more ideas about the type of bonus content that can be provided for in-store visits. Mobile Commerce Daily’s Mobile Commerce Outlook 2012 report also just came out with articles that share interesting insights into the use of check-in, loyalty programs, couponing and in-store wi-fi as preliminary means to engage consumers in-store. In-store mobile transactions are also discussed in several areas, speaking to a level of convenience that can be provided to the consumer to make their purchase experience even more fluid and seamless with mobile.

Apps should adapt and provide the right experience, with a reason to be mobile at the forefront. In-store interactive displays are a cool addition to the shopping experience and can be taken further to interact with each customers’ mobile device to provide scale. There may never be a silver-bullet to control the conversation in-store or a customer’s purchase decision, but that’s exactly the point—let the consumer explore outside your walls, but give them the v2.x tools that bring them back to your retail reality.