Target recently updated its coupon mobile application to better assist in-store shoppers at checkout with an option to reorder the digital coupons with a touch of a finger, exhibiting how small changes can ease the user experience while increasing sales and use.

The mass merchant retailer focuses on satisfying its customers and streamlining their experiences, which has proved successful, as its Cartwheel app has been labeled as one of the fastest growing apps this year by comScore. Target’s recent update is to ensure that users who have upgraded to iOS 9 will continue to have a streamlined experience and added the new moveable feature in response to the realization that customers are using the app as a shopping list.

“The little things really matter,” said Michael Becker, co-founder and managing partner, mCordis, Sunnyvale, CA. “The intuitive swipe, tap and now press and drag interactions can fundamentally change a person’s experience.

“For instance, this experience, made possible with the new iOS 9, can reduce the friction for people to manage and prioritize their selected offers,” he said.

Streamlining checkout
The Cartwheel app plays into consumers’ interest in shopping for deals, and brings couponing into the digital age for a more comprehensive and convenient experience. Its recent update introduced a feature in which users can change the order of their coupons by clicking and dragging.

Target noticed that many shoppers were using the app as method of keeping track of their future purchases, as a shopping list. This prompted the retailer to introduce the feature for better organization and streamlined in-store shopping.

The new option is easy to use and a small change that supports the overall effectiveness of the app, which is vital to a commerce app.

Users can add coupons from various printouts as well as congregated deals within the app and keep them all organized within their mobile devices rather than traveling with an abundance of printed coupons.

Shoppers using Cartwheel at Target locations can redeem all the deals saved on their bar code page and only need to scan once to use all.

Cartwheel success
A recent report by comScore detailed how the app has leveraged consumer’s routine shopping and interest in deals resulting in growth of 85 percent year over year.

In August, Target introduced personalized recommendations to Cartwheel, resulting in a more-than 10-percent increase in the number of offers downloaded per user (see more).

Originally, the app surpassed 7 million users and updated with enhanced social features when the shopping application celebrated its one-year anniversary (see more).

“Initially, the feature may not have a material affect on sales, since it will take some time to accumulate a critical mass of consumers that have both installed iOS9 and found the new feature in the app,” Mr. Becker said. “Over time, however, executed effectively, the press and drag user experience can reduce the steps to prioritizing and accomplishing a task, but more importantly it may help the app design team enhance the experience even further.

“For example, if Target implements a beacon network this capability may enable an auto-reording of offers on the Cartwheel visual map (a really cool feature in my opinion) as the shopper navigates the store,” he said. “All of this may lead to a reduction in friction, reduction in steps (both virtually and physically).

“A reduction in friction, as has been learned from online shopping cart conversation reports, leads to increased engagement, conversation and ultimately revenue.”