Retailer Lands’ End is driving mobile sales this season with a commerce-enabled iPad application and a loyalty SMS program.

Lands’ End is using mobile marketing initiatives in conjunction with other marketing channels, including Web, in-store, email and social. The retailer is also partnering with Donorschoose.org for digital charity donations.

“We have seen an increase in customers visiting our mobile commerce site from their smartphones, as well as the full Lands’ End site from their tablet devices,” said Michele Casper, director of public relations at Lands’ End, Dodgeville, WI.

“Most notably, we have seen an exciting response in customers visiting our sites through their iPad,” she said.

“As the general adoption to iPad use increases in the market, we have seen a similar increase in customers visiting our site.”

Holiday spirit
Lands’ End is taking its holiday collection digital with iPad catalog apps.

Using the app, users can browse Lands’ End current catalog.

Consumers can swipe through pages and flip them to buy products directly from the Lands’ End Web site, which is embedded into the app.

Consumers are then log into their Lands’ End account or sign in as a guest to finish the transaction.

Lands’ End is also featured in the Google Catalog iPad app.

Lands’ End is using a SMS loyalty program that rewards consumers with rewards and discounts from the retailer.

To opt-in to the program, consumers text the keyword LANDSEND to the short code 41963.

In addition to the mobile initiatives, Lands’ End is also using other digital marketing initiatives for the holidays.

The company will promote holiday deals and exclusives on its Facebook page, which users can shop from.

Shoppers can also receive holiday tips, giveaways and access to fun events and giveaways via Twitter.

Additionally, Lands’ End is tweaking its email format to make them more optimized for mobile devices.

“At Lands’ End we have always strived to meet our customers where they are,” Ms. Casper said.

“From our 24-hour a day toll-free number launched in 1980, to our ecommerce site launched in 1995, we have changed as our customers’ needs have changed,” she said.

“Now, we know it’s just as important to meet our customers in social spaces like Facebook and Twitter or through their mobile devices.”

Mobile shopping
Lands’ End is not the only retailer stepping it up with its mobile efforts this holiday season.

British department store Debenhams recently used an augmented reality app to let consumers try on select looks from the store (see story).

In particular, the holidays are a good time for retailers and brands to promote their existent mobile channels to show what the company does year-round in addition to holiday-specific programs.

By using mobile as a channel to promote its brand across multiple platforms, Lands’ End is showing that it understands that consumers are increasingly using mobile to research, look for deals and buy items.

“We do know customers will be using their mobile devices this holiday season in a variety of ways,” Ms. Casper said.

“Whether they’re checking store hours, reading product reviews, or completing a purchase, we know our mobile commerce site will serve as a valuable resource for our customers during the 2011 holiday season,”she said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York