Overstock.com recognizes that shopping from a mobile device is becoming more important, especially during the holiday period. The retailer is brushing up its mobile strategy to appeal to shoppers who planning to get a jumpstart on the holiday weekend deals by starting their shopping early on Thanksgiving Day.

“Mobile has been primarily used by the customer to browse for products, but we know that experience is just as important as product,” said Natalie Malaszenko, senior vice president of marketing at Overstock.com.

“We are reducing the need to switch between devices to browse or purchase by simplifying our checkout experience, which includes adding one of Europe’s most prominent online payment services, Klarna,” she said. It allows one-step purchase, with pay after delivery option.”

Valuing app users
Overstock.com is leveraging a number of different strategies to boost its mobile business the 2015 holiday shopping season.

The retailer will offer exclusive deals via push notifications.

Users of the iOS Overstock.com app will also have a daily chance to win a coupon via a lottery.

These efforts reflect how app users can be a retailer’s most valuable shoppers and the need to continually engage and excite these customers.

Early access
Recognizing that Thanksgiving Day is an increasingly popular day for shoppers to get a jump-start on their holiday shopping, Overstock.com is promoting its Pre Black Friday sale, with up to 70 percent off on Thursday, Nov. 26.

Overstock.com will be able to shop the retailer’s deals without having to leave home starting at 12 am ET on Thanksgiving Day.

Earlier in the fall, the retailer streamlined its mobile checkout process in an effort to drive mobile conversions this holiday season, adopting one-tap checkout and after-delivery payment for smartphone users (see story).

Earlier in November, the retailer updated its mobile application to integrate its loyalty program and bring free-shipping offers to members (see story).

For the first time ever, mobile traffic to retailers’ Web sites is expected to overtake desktop on Thanksgiving Day, with mobile forecast to represent 51 percent of traffic and 29 percent of online sales that day, according to a recent report from Adobe (see story).

“Black Friday and Cyber Monday have definitely become important days for all retailers and customers,” Ms. Malaszenko said.

“We are delighted at Overstock.com to have customers’ unique and favorite products at great prices across all of our categories every day, but during these two sales events, we’ll definitely make sure the trendy, hot, and unexpected customer favorites stand out,” she said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York