Retailers are using smart strategies to reach out to shoppers. From secret ads to an e-store on a social media site, retail chain Shoppers Stop is on a major digitisation drive to reach its customers.

“Through these initiatives, we are looking at strengthening our connect with customers,” says Mr Vinay Bhatia, Customer Care Associate and Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Loyalty, Shoppers Stop Ltd.

For instance, the retail chain's First Citizen (loyalty card) members no longer carry their cards to swipe when they shop. To accumulate or to know the status on loyalty points, all they do is download the loyalty application on their Blackberry, iPhone or an Android phone and get information on reward points, promotions, offers and also update their profile.

In fact, to facilitate shopping for loyalty members who like to shop online, First Citizens have a special zone on the retailer's Facebook store.

Shoppers Stop recently added a new dimension to its e-communication with the launch of its end of season sale ad with augmented reality (AR) apps.

AR is a real-world view of a physical environment through computer generated videos and sounds.

This ad featured an AR code that readers could trigger by using a specially developed app that could be downloaded from an Android or iTunes market. “Once you point your phone on the static ad, the screen changes and thousands of offers available at the store can be seen. It's a kind of a secret ad not visible to the naked eye,” says Mr Bhatia.

This ad also allows Blackberry, iPhone and Android phone users to start shopping online. Over 6,000 customers downloaded and viewed the AR set-up.

“Digitisation and social media allows us to have a real time engagement with our customers and we are leveraging the potential of these media,” he says.

> anjali@thehindu.co.in

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