For all of their innovations, many mobile retail apps are simply cosmetic updates on the company's existing Web site, tweaked and poked and prodded to fit into the smaller form factor of the phone. Macy's iShop, on the other hand, is an example of an m-retail app that is reinvented from the ground up with the device in mind, taking advantage of navigational tools intrinsic to the iPhone user interface.
And this free app packs a wealth of information into a tiny download, going surprisingly deep in the number of ways it allows shoppers to interface with the retailer.
The home page gives the user twelve basic departments to browse, along with a holistic search box and a few extra choices on the bottom nav (first image). Once a department is selected, the user is given the "slot machine interface" that will be familiar to users of the iPhone's built-in Timer app, among others: Three scrolling wheels let the user fine-tune their search by category, brand and price, and a click of the "Go" button retrieves all products that are a match (second image). From there, it's just two more clicks to either purchase the product online or have it sent to a nearby store.
The departments allow users to browse for products a couple of different ways – you can find men's shirts through the men's department, of course, but you can also view the highest-rated (by other shoppers) products in that category by first hitting "Top Rated," then navigating to the men's department. Sale and Clearance departments are likewise broken down for browsing.
Hitting the "Offers" button on the bottom nav generates a dynamic page of current promotional offers, all of which can be applied to the current shopping session, provided the shopper is purchasing the required items. Those offers can also be found at checkout, once again resulting in the slot-machine interface (third image).
Promotional offers can also be served up based on store location — hitting the "More" button, then selecting "Store information," employs the iPhone's location awareness to find the nearest store, then show promotional offers valid at that store. Once in the store, customers simply show the on-screen barcoded coupon at checkout to have the discount applied.
Aside from coupons and promotional offers, the store locator tool is surprisingly robust, offering much more than just street addresses and phone numbers. Each Macy's location has its own profile page, with store hours, a link to turn-by-turn directions from Google, and a separate click-to-dial phone link. Each store page also has a link to a dedicated list of in-store events for that location.
The Macy's name is synonymous with accessible luxury, and this smartly executed app dovetails into that brand perfectly.
