The digital discount retailer’s rewards program members will now be able to earn points and free shipping by purchasing directly within the apps on tablet and smartphones along with free shipping. Overstock is hoping to provide a positive sentiment and streamline sales for the biggest retail sector of the year.

“As companies move to an omni-channel business model, they need to provide the same benefits to customers, regardless of how or where they shop,” said Todd Werden, vice president at Boston Retail Partners. “Consumers are reaching app fatigue so it is imperative for retailers to offer valuable rewards to inspire consumers to download and use their apps.

“Overstock’s 2 percent rewards and exclusive offers, such as the daily scratch card and flash sales, are a compelling strategy to get consumers to check their app frequently for new deals,” he said.

Mobile Club O
Club O members will now be able to redeem rewards, loyalty points and free shipping on not only its desktop platform, but on all of its mobile apps as well. The loyalty program integration with its mobile app introduced a new tab in which users can access their rewards points and information.

Overstock.com app users can access their Club O information by pressing the menu tab on the homepage and visiting My Club O button within the dropdown. The app then brings users to a page on which all their information is displayed.

The Club O page displays the amount of spending money the user has racked up from points, exclusive offers, five percent dining rewards and products only available to members. The retailer also offers a subscription fee-based club in which members pay yearly deals for better rewards and deals, which Overstock is promoting with a seamless option to purchase a membership.

The retailer also took customer criticisms into account and streamlined its purchase history tab for users to better track orders, as well as its cancellation and returns process with which patrons can now seamlessly conduct through the app. The developers also made sure to work out any bugs and crashing issues in time for the holiday season.

The holidays are a critical time for retailers, so consumers are seeing a lot of updates to apps and strategies, as these business are making sure their properties will have little to no issues for the shopping onslaught to come.

Overstock app updates
Overstock.com also narrowed the gap between desktop and mobile conversions by adopting one-tap checkout and after-delivery payment for smartphone users (see more).

The retailer also introduced a gift card feature into the app, in which consumers can buy and share certificates with friends and family to further drive mobile sales and positive brand sentiment (see more).

“According to comScore, 61 percent of internet usage is on mobile devices,” Mr. Werden said. “As mobile moves from a viewing channel to a purchasing channel, customers will be more apt to buy on the spot if they get the same rewards, or better, as they would if they used a company’s web site.”

“A compelling rewards program also strengthens the overall relationship with customers, as they will look forward to receiving their rewards points and be less inclined to shop elsewhere,” he said.

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily