With the iPad quickly becoming an important shopping tool for consumers, retailers such as Gap and Anthropologie are partnering with new shopping app Shopmox to be where their shoppers are.

These days brands and retailers are constantly rolling out mobile applications to keep up with tech-savvy consumers. However, only a slight few have really stepped up their game and incorporated the key features needed to have users coming back.

SAN DIEGO – A HauteLook executive at the Mobile Shopping Spring Summit said that marketers looking to delve into the mobile space should think mobile-first and constantly measure everything to better reach their target consumer.

When Home Depot wanted to create a digital style guide for do-it-yourself home remodelers, the retailer decided on an iPad-first strategy because of the device’s ability to provide engaging content and product experiences that can help drive sales.

Sephora is strengthening its position in the mobile space by not only revamping the company’s mobile site and iPhone application for a better consumer experience, but also deploying more in-store iPad kiosks to drive sales.

Specialty sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet is piloting a new mobile application for the iPad that gives shoppers a way to apply for instant in-store credit.

More than 12 percent of traffic to retailers’ and other marketers’ Web sites now come from mobile devices, according to a new report from Walker Sands Communications.

Outdoor apparel and gear retailer Eastern Mountain Sports is rolling out iPads in its stores that leverage its existing point-of-sale, ecommerce and store systems.

Coffee Table, a retail catalog aggregate app for iPad, is the latest mobile service to offer holiday shoppers special incentives as a way to drive adoption.

Online retailer Zappos is continuing its mobile push with an iPad magazine that lets consumers shop its popular looks.