Shopular is integrating beacon technology into its application to deliver personalized, contextually relevant offers to users while they are shopping in more than 320 malls.

The mobile coupon application is looking to better aim for consumers during the right time during the customer journey, when they are in the shopping mindset. The use of beacons will allow Shopular to send push-notifications to users while shopping within retail locations such as shopping malls, which means they are highly susceptible to call-to-actions.

“Deals need context otherwise they are no more than a shot in the dark,” said Jeff Hasen, founder of Gotta Mobilize and author of The Art of Mobile Persuasion. “Who is going to redeem a three dollar off pizza offer if the nearest location is 70 miles away?

“Beacons bring not only location, but preference since those who are reachable have elected to be pushed messages and offers,” he said.

Beaconing users
The use of beacons is growing within retail use, and is becoming a prime method in enticing users to spend more. Mobile opens up the opportunity for a greater in-store connection, and beacon technology furthers that and allows retailers to target customers while they are currently shopping.

Call-to-action push-notification which serves users content they are interested in can significantly drive sales. In Shopular’s case consumers are excited to receive deals and coupons, so sharing them while they are near a store or a mall makes them more likely to immediately act on it.

The use of beacons can also drive impulse purchases, with many customers receiving the notification and buy products impromptu.

The beacon introduction is in a partnership with location-based mobile developer Mobiquity Networks. The two are working on serving more timely and relevant experiences to users with more precise location technology.

Streamlining push-notification process through beacons is likely to entice a greater number of retail partners, as the mobile destination becomes more effective, the more helpful it is to partners.

Retailer location use
Similarly, Target jumped to the head of the class for in-store beacon marketing with a new program arriving this week in 50 stores that leverages the retailer’s application to alert shoppers to hyperlocal content accessible via a newsfeed-like stream (see more).

Also, mobile app shopkick doubled its users in the past year to a whopping 15 million, partially due to the shopping companion’s wide-scale deployment of beacons in major retail stores, which focus on offering consumers rewards rather than banal product information (see more).

“The savvy retailers have set up business rules so consumers who opt in aren’t bombarded. Instead, they see value from such a program,” Mr. Hasen said.

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily