Through the partnership, retailers can develop apps that integrate Nomi’s SDK and offers customers the chance to receive VIP service, rewards and offers. The partnerships are part of the company’s ongoing efforts to make an impact in the mobile commerce space.

“Repeat shoppers represent the most profitable segment of any retailer’s customer base,” said Corey Capasso, president of Nomi, New York. “According to Shop.org, repeat shoppers form only 27 percent of a Web retailer’s total customer base but drive 41 percent of sales.

“So why do retailers wait to recognize and reward loyal customers until after they checkout?” he said. “The customer experience starts before you buy, not after.

“This partnership provides retailers with the ability to recognize and reward loyal customers the moment they enter a store. It’s bringing online innovations to the offline world.”

Partnerships
When consumers download a retailer’s branded app and opt-in to the program, Nomi leverages the point-of-sale service, as well as ecommerce, CRM and loyalty data to personalize and help create a omnichannel experience.

From there, companies can leverage the preferences to personalize the shopping experience through a sales associate.

“Nomi’s SDK helps Branding Brand-powered mobile applications become location-aware,” Mr. Capasso said.

“Nomi benefits from Branding Brand’s deep relationships with the nation’s top retailers,” he said.

One step forward
According to Mr. Capasso, with cheaper prices available to anyone with an Internet connection, retailers need to find a way to compete that does not involve discounting.

That is where customer service enters.

“We don’t believe commerce should be silo’d by channels,” Mr. Capasso said. “Customers expect a seamless overall brand experience regardless of the channel.

“Retailers are beginning to recognize that the only way to compete with cheaper online alternatives is to provide a better overall shopping experience,” he said. “To do that, each channel must complement and enhance the others.

“Mobile applications must provide real-world utility that improves each step in the shopping experience from discovery, to browsing and checkout. This partnership helps achieve that goal.”

The mobile commerce space is growing at a rapid speed and this partnership will help both companies solidify their position as game-changers in it.

“The main benefit is that this is a good sales relationship,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester. “Branding Brand is a company that has a lot of relationships with retailers and they have differentiated themselves well in mobile commerce.

“Mobile commerce by our estimates is still a pretty small percentage of the overall ecommerce pie and retail pie,” she said. “However, people are using phones to to research products and make purchases.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York