Consumers can ‘shop it’ wherever with Macy’s app

New York--Macy’s will give mobile shoppers a hand this holiday season when it introduces an application that will allow users to request information on and purchase items from Macy’s Star Gifts wherever they may see them: on a billboard or in a magazine or catalog.

Tagged “See it, scan it, shop it,” the Macy’s Star Gifts app utilizes NantMobile’s iD visual recognition technology.

Consumers who download the app will have their first chance to engage with the virtual content this month, when the Macy’s Star Gifts catalog launches.

With the app open, users just need to point their mobile device at any page in the catalog that features a Star Gift and tap the screen to see the enhanced information.

As the holiday season continues, the app will work on Macy’s gift advertising in public spaces: subway stations, digital billboards, bus shelters, windowscapes, magazines and additional catalogs.

The app’s technology delivers consumers a seamless experience across print and outdoor advertising, Macy’s said.

“Visual recognition technology is the next evolution of our mobile strategy, leveraging Macy’s omnichannel capabilities to be everywhere our customers are in order to enhance their shopping experiences on the go,” said Macy’s Chief Marketing Officer Martine Reardon. “This new application of technology will assist us in delivering helpful and relevant content to mobile shoppers while at the same time providing them with the opportunity to get their holiday shopping done with ease.”

The Macy’s Star Gifts app is available for free on iTunes and Google Play. In addition to its visual recognition technology, it offers product videos, gift ideas and gift-giving advice, and users are able to shop directly from the app.

Macy’s introduction of the Star Gifts app is a complement to its other mobile strategies, including the stand-alone Macy’s app, the mobile-enhanced Macys.com, and numerous mobile rewards and advertising partnerships.