Skechers’ latest mobile effort is an application that lets users purchase shoes and other Skechers-branded merchandise from their mobile devices as well as shop products directly from a dedicated social feed of aggregated Instagram posts.

The app is meant to work as both a companion to shoppers looking for Skechers shoes in-store, as well as a standalone mobile commerce client. Skechers is aiming to provide a mobile hub for all of its online commerce and digital marketing content.

“Consumers are information-hungry and require instant access when it comes to shopping and browsing—millennials of course, but now the older generations are quickly catching up,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “We have come to expect more in our shopping experiences and more from our technology.

“Last year, we relaunched our ecommerce platform to a responsive design that integrates social media and our many video assets,” he said. “The Skechers mobile app was the natural next step to allow consumers to have a more convenient, informed, streamlined and quick shopping experience. 

“With this, we’re giving consumers a virtual retail store in their pocket.”

In-store companion
The Skechers mobile app, which was developed in partnership with PredictSpring, lets customers purchase shoes and other apparel at any time directly through their phones.

In addition to that basic functionality, Skechers is making its app a hub for viewing all kinds of Skechers content. Users can watch video content and commercials for Skechers products through the app as well.

The footwear company is also trying to make the Skechers app a companion for in-store shopping. The app comes with a few features designed to make physical shopping easier.

The app is equipped with one-touch checkout, featuring popular mobile payment options such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. These mobile payment options are designed to be used when ordering through the phone or purchasing in-store.

The Skechers app also makes use of some proximity and geodata features. Users can find the closest Skechers-carrying retailers with an in-app store locator as well as get proximity notifications for nearby Skechers-related events and promotions.

Users can also scan bar codes of Skechers products through the app to pull up more information on the product.

Loyal Skechers users can access their Skechers Elite account through the app as well. Skechers Elite keeps track of customers’ purchases to offer loyalty points that can be exchanged for rewards and deals.

Finally, the app boasts a social component. Instagram photos posted with the hashtag #SKECHERS will show up in a dedicated section of the Skechers app called ShopIG.

Users can click on the shoes shown in those Instagram posts to easily shop for them.

Armed with knowledge
Skechers is tapping into what many retailers have known when it comes to mobile apps – they are a perfect companion for the in-store shopping experience.

Retailers from industries as diverse as cosmetics all the way to automotive are all latching onto the idea of mobile apps as a way for consumers to research what they are buying before they do.

This week, at MMA’s 2016 SM2 Innovation Summit, an executive from GM spoke about how the rise of mobile and mobile apps means consumers are coming onto the dealership lot with a lot more information than they used to (see story).

That level of preparation means consumers are less likely to be persuaded by traditional marketing strategies.

Sephora responded to this shift by equipping its apps with features that show consumers how to use their products at home by scanning them and watching a video, providing an educational value that customers now fully expect (see story).

Skechers is riding the wave of in-store companions at a time when customers expect their mobile device to be working for them when they shop.

“The Skechers native app, which is faster to shop, helps elevate the purchase experience with easy-one-touch pay via Apple Pay and Android Pay, a shoppable Instagram feed, easy access to their Skechers Elite account, obtain product information, and the flexibility to watch Skechers videos,” Mr. Greenberg said.