If one point kept being recalled at last week’s Retail Business Technology Expo and Cards & Payments Solutions (RBTE) event, it is our changing face of modern retail. Multichannel, omni-channel, c-tailing, total retailing, u-commerce, seamless systems, they are all the emerging reality and one which poses unavoidable questions for retailers.

Steve Rothwell, CEO of digital voucher specialists Eagle Eye Solutions, says, “I think the mentality of bricks and mortar retailers has to change… continue reading

Smart retailers capitalise on smartphone marketing and increased demand for money saving vouchers

Eurostop, a provider of solutions for fashion, footwear and lifestyle, has announced a new partnership with Eagle Eye, a leader in delivering mobile coupons and gift vouchers worldwide. Eurostop is to integrate Eagle Eye’s patented technology with its e-pos solution, enabling a service allowing retailers to redeem in store mobile promotional coupons or gift vouchers that have been sent to customers’ phones. The solution can then provide retailers with real-time customer sales data and a cost effective way to increase customer loyalty.

Stephen Rothwell, CEO of Eagle Eye commented; “Consumers are now doing – and expecting – more from their phones, including promotions, offers and vouchers for their favourite retailers.  This partnership will enable the retailers that Eurostop service to engage with their customers via the mobile device driving more sales, improve the customer experience and remove fraud from the digital vouchers market.

Phillip Moylan, Sales & Marketing Manager at Eurostop said; “The integration of Eagle Eye’s leading technology with our retail solution enables us to provide retailers with a system that can dramatically improve their business. It provides a cost effective tool using smartphone technology that enables them to reward customers or boost sales with special offers that are very easy and quick to process.

“Our focus is on providing retailers with solutions to help them run their business profitably.  Customers are increasingly looking for best value – being able to react quickly with targeted offers and promotions helps to maximise sales and keep customers coming back.”

Customers may receive mobile coupons directly or by responding to an advertisement or email. They are sent a unique PIN code to their mobile phone that they use at the till point when paying for their goods.

They can also purchase gift vouchers online for friends. Recipients of the gift receive a text with a PIN code that deducts the amount at the till when the sale is processed. Retailers can track redemption of the offers and use the sales data captured to track the success of media campaigns, create new offers and enhance their customer relationship marketing.

“When I started at Eagle Eye” writes Russell, “Steve Rothwell [CEO] and I agreed that the day would come when I could take a step back and pursue my many other interests in mobile and technology, as an investor, advisor and mentor, as well as a speaker and writer. I’m pleased to say that the job I was appointed to do is now complete. We’ve recruited a great sales and marketing team, establishing the Eagle Eye brand and marketing assets and put Eagle Eye on the map as the leader in mobile coupons and the voice of authority in the sector. With a raft of new clients coming on board in 2012, I’m very confident that Steve’s leadership will continue to deliver fantastic results for all of Eagle Eye’s stakeholders.”

“Russell joined us at a critical time in our corporate development” responded Steve Rothwell “and achieved all the goals we set when he joined. We have always known the time would come when Russell would leave to pursue his other interests and we are very sad this time has come. I am very pleased that he will maintain his interest in the company and be an advisor to us as we continue our rapid growth. Personally, I thank Russell for all his hard work, support and friendship over the past year and I look forward to working with him again in the future.”

So, as Eagle Eye ponders continued International expansion, it’s definitely “Au Revoir” from us to Russell and certainly not “Adieu”.

Two things surprised us here at Eagle Eye.  First, what she didn’t say. And second, the idea that technology is part of the problem, rather than potentially part of the solution too.

What Mary didn’t talk about was Marketing. Surely, when a key objective is to get people back to the High Street, marketing and communication is going to play a key part? We’re now at a stage in history where for the first time High Street retailers can use the equivalent tools their online ecommerce cousins have been using so effectively for the last 15 years or so.

Why do we say that? Mobile coupons can be used to run the equivalent of Pay Per Click campaigns, with the Click in this case being the redemption of the coupon in-store. At last, measurable, performance marketing campaigns have arrived and have their part to play in bringing consumers back to stores.

When we come to a retail view of technology, we’ve certainly seen eCommerce and more latterly, mCommerce sales go via digital channels in the past decade or so. But while these disciplines are essentially a new type of mail order, it’s increasingly clear that mobile can be used in another way altogether – and that’s to enhance and support the in-store shopping experience.

We’re not the only people thinking along these lines. Mobile agency Grapple also pointed out that the apps they’re developing for their retail clients include many tools for consumers to use in-store.  For instance, apps can help drive footfall, with 1 in 10 of those downloading Grapple retailer apps using the store finders, and half of those scanning barcodes for price check whilst in-store.

Focusing on the in-store use of mobile also makes complete sense to fully engage customers in an environment where currently where 90% of all retailer transactions take place anyway.

Mobile could actually become the best friend of both the bigger retailers and the smaller independent stores. Let’s take one of Mary’s excellent recommendations – ‘Putting in Place a Town Team’. This involves having one central team to co-ordinate the strategic and operational management of the local high street to attract community (and in turn customers).

The fundamentals that make up mobile provide a perfect vehicle for the Town Team to drive people to the high street. Think of it this way. Mobile supports any media channel through the relevant calls to action (SMS, QR code, data capture and in near future NFC). So every town centre billboard, newspaper or even shop window can become a way of recruiting users to engage with town centre activity.  And it provides a convenient communication route back to the customer through one central point. Under the Town Team guidance, this gives a (co-funded) opportunity to fight back with community information and specific promotional marketing to drive customers in-store.

History has taught that technology can’t be ignored in the hope that it’ll go away. It’s also not helpful to quietly resent the changes that it causes, painful though they may be. Any successful strategy for High Street renewal must embrace technology and especially mobile, to leverage it as a powerful asset and a key part of any future success.

Big UK retailer announcements this week prove there is certainly enough incentive for retailers over this side of the Atlantic to use this holiday to offer consumers promotional discounts. According to BRC figures released this week, in-store footfall dropped by 2.3% between Aug and Oct this year, and by 4.7% just in October. Obviously this has had an impact on profits, with even Arcadia announcing the closure of 250 stores along with 38% slide in pre-tax profits.

So the question is, how do we get the UK shopping again? Last weekend, we read an amazing article in the Sunday Times about the latest craze to sweep across the US. ‘Extreme Couponing’ involves ‘the extensive and focused use of coupons offering reductions or bulk purchase discounts’. And UK citizens are now flying over to the US to take classes on how to do this properly.

A key finding of the article was that over here we are a little too embarrassed to present old school paper coupons in stores.  And what seems obvious to us is that mobile coupons can mitigate this typical UK attitude – and dare we say it – make coupons cool!

From a consumer point of view mobile coupons are convenient and easy to request. For retailers, they drive footfall, are fully measureable and cheaper to manage than their printed counterpart. So it’s no big surprise that Juniper have forecast that the mobile couponing market is set to grow from $5.4bn this year to $43.2bn (800% increase) by 2016.

http://www.retailgazette.co.uk/articles/32210-simon-burke-the-big-interview

Have a look at our ‘Success Story‘ for more info.

http://www.retailgazette.co.uk/articles/02202-eagle-eye-solutions-ceo-steve-rothwell-interview 

Sir Terry Leahy, best known for overseeing Tesco’s meteoric rise within the retail industry and the original brains behind the Tesco Clubcard, is already taking an active role in the company, making a number of introductions with senior level contacts in the retail space. City retail analysts Bill Currie and Iain McDonald, who have an impressive track record of successfully investing in consumer facing businesses, including The Hut Group, Metapack, ASOS, QXL Ricardo and Zooplus will be using their expertise in e-commerce to help guide Eagle Eye’s business strategy.This funding will enable Eagle Eye to further expand its team, consolidate and grow its retail partnerships, further establishing the company as the forerunner in digitally redeemed mobile coupons and gift vouchers.

“This is an exciting time to get on board with Eagle Eye Solutions, which has expanded its retail partnerships rapidly in recent months. The retail industry is waking up to the huge opportunities that mobile marketing represents and mobile coupons are a vital component. Eagle Eye is leading the way in this field and I look forward to playing a part in its positive impact on the market. ” said Sir Terry Leahy.

Steve Rothwell, CEO, Eagle Eye Solutions, said: “We are delighted to have secured the backing of such experienced and high profile figures within the industry. Our technology empowers retailers with physical stores to use digital marketing techniques that have worked so well online in the last 15 years. This funding round will enable us to accelerate our progress and sign up more retailers more quickly than we could organically.”

The key to any digital voucher is the ability to redeem simply and securely, in real time and with the ability to track customer usage. Eagle Eye delivers that vision today for retailers, using the Chip and PIN pad and without any requirement for a massive upgrade of retail/EPoS systems. It is already working with a number of high profile retailers, including Comet, Aurora Fashions, Blockbuster and Virgin Active.

This news follows the recent appointments of Simon Burke, the former Chief Executive of Virgin Entertainment Group and Chairman of Hamleys PLC, as Chairman and of Russell Buckley, former VP of Global Alliances at Admob (now owned by Google) as Chief Marketing Officer at Eagle Eye Solutions.

Read more about it here:
Daily Mail – Sir Terry Leahy’s ‘eagle eye’ fixes on mobile coupon start-up
City AM – Sir Terry buys British again
Retail Gazette – Leahy invests in mobile voucher firm Eagle Eye
The Retail Bulletin – Eagle Eye Solutions raises £1.5 million for mobile coupon technology
New Media Age – Sir Terry Leahy leads £1.5m investment in mobile coupons firm Eagle Eye
GoMo News – Eagle Eye Solutions raises £1.5m for Mobile Coupon Technology Series A funding led by Sir Terry Leahy, Bill Currie and Iain McDonald
Mobile Marketing Magazine – Eagle Eye Solutions Raises £1.5m
Retail Systems – Sir Terry backs mobile voucher tech firm
Retail Times – Sir Terry Leahy invests in digital mobile coupon company
Real Business – Sir Terry Leahy invests in mobile voucher firm Eagle Eye Solutions
Marketing Week – Sir Terry Leahy invests in mobile coupon company
Mobile Entertainment – Eagle Eye Solutions raises £1.5m
Growing Business – Leahy leads investment in Groupon-style mobile start-up
M&M Global – Eagle Eye Solutions secures $2.4m funding
Retail IT – Sir Terry Leahy invests in mobile coupon company

Simon Burke is a highly experienced retailer, having led or been a Board member of a host of prominent UK retail brands, including Virgin Megastores, WH Smith, Hamleys, and Majestic Wine. He is currently Chairman of Hobbycraft and Mitchells & Butlers PLC, and is a Director of the BBC.

Eagle Eye Solutions is the market leader in delivering mobile voucher issuance and redemption technology to retailers. The key to any digital voucher is the ability to redeem simply and securely, in real time and with the ability to track customer usage. Eagle Eye delivers that vision today for retailers, using the Chip and PIN pad and without any requirement for a massive upgrade of retail/EPoS systems. Eagle Eye is already working with many prominent retailers including Comet, Aurora Fashions, Blockbuster and Virgin Active.