Kohl’s is maximizing Cyber Monday sales by extending the event to an eight-day savings blitz, with a focus on mobile and digital sales featuring daily flash deals on its application.

The retailer is kicking off the holiday shopping season with a weeklong blowout on its online properties, including its mobile app, with 20 percent off through a code, flash sales and product markdowns. Kohl’s is hoping to attract returning customers for its daily deals as well as heighten the shopping experience and inflate sales.

“To state the obvious, if brands want to be successful in m-commerce, they need to take advantage of contextual touchpoints to engage users,” said James McNally, senior manager of business development at Prolific Interactive. “Flash sales have not been a runaway success in mobile yet, but that does not mean the concept itself is flawed, and for Kohl’s, with its big-brand momentum and a large existing customer base which is trained to look for sales, this promotion makes a lot of sense.”

Cyber Monday blitz
Customers of Kohl’s who choose to skip on the in-store frenzy of Black Friday will not be missing out this year. The retailer is focusing on creating an extended sales event that appeals to a wide range of consumers interested in various methods of shopping.

Mobile app users can visit every day for a chance to participate in Kohl’s flash deals, which will feature one product a day with a significant discount. The deal will be showcased on the homepage of the app and desktop Web site.

The deals are designed to get multiple customers coming back to its page every day to check out the sales, and hopefully drive impulse purchases. Users can enter the promo code Deals20 to receive 20 percent off their purchases, beginning on Nov 24.

Also starting on Saturday, digital shoppers will receive free shipping on orders $25 or more. Prominent markdowns will be featured on products from categories such as electronics, Carter’s kids apparel, outerwear, sweaters, select watch brands, Nike Athletic, Melissa & Doug toys, Madison Park bedding sets, Monster NCredible NTune On-Ear HD headphones, NFL jerseys for Boys and Columbia fleece for Men, as well as Izod, Chaps and Dockers Sweaters for Men.

For the week of Nov 23 to Nov 29 customers will receive $15 Kohl’s cash for each $50 spent through its app, online and in-stores. The retailer is also pushing its scanning feature on the app for gift cards, Kohl’s cash and coupons to drive loyal customers’ returns as well as its mobile wallet feature to earn rewards.

Kohl’s mobile advances
Kohl’s also innovated in the mobile space by monetizing mobile live streams for its apparel brand LC Lauren Conrad, exhibiting the potential of applications such as Periscope and Meerkat not just to connect with fans, but to drive sales as well (see more).

The retailer also drove sales of a new collaborative collection with Disney via social platforms and leveraged a multitude of tactics to attract fans of the Descendants made-for-TV film, including a social media sweepstakes, question-and-answer segments and trivia games (see more).

“It is challenging for brands like Kohl’s to drive frequent engagement on mobile, they do not always have a ton of sexiness or excitement to work with,” Mr. McNally said. “The goal for Kohl’s should be understanding their customer and what motivates her, and then leveraging those triggers into app UX.

“For Kohl’s, topical promotions like flash sales may be a good tactic, but Kohl’s might be just as well-served by focusing all mobile efforts on creating the smoothest and quickest mobile shopping experience, then building in clever utilties that meet offer value uniquely to the Kohl’s customer,” he said. “Post-holiday, Kohl’s should closely review analytics and user input to help drive continued improvements in performance.”

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily