Five Innovations to the Consumer Shopping Experience, Well, Fit for a President

As if shopping wasn’t enough fun already, five newly launched innovations are hoping to capture both merchant and consumer interest in pretty creative new ways.. .

1. SnapTags

Most businesses are just now deciding whether QR codes — those black and white squares that connect consumers to online resources — are a smart business play.

But a marketing firm in Denver says it has already upgraded that slightly-less-than-ancient technology. The company is SpyderLynk, and the new product is the SnapTag. Unlike QR codes, SnapTags can feature company logos or custom designs, and aren’t restricted to solid blocks of black and white.

Instead, SpyderLynk uses Code Rings — unique circles that go around a custom graphic — to create new connections. Once a consumer photographs or scans the “Buy It Now” SnapTag, they are then prompted to enter their credit card information — which is saved in an encrypted mobile wallet that can later be used for future purchases.

An additional “Social Shopping” feature allows users to share their purchase information with family and friends via Facebook, making SnapTag one of the first technological applications to combine print media, social media, and the mobile device.

Consumers can use SnapTag to “Buy it Now” with about 21 advertisers which are all featured in the March issue of Glamour. Talk about a big debut. (Insert SNAPTAG image here)

2. RedLaser

RedLaser is the eBay-owned mobile barcode scanning application for comparison-shopping and product information. Available for iPhone, Windows Phones, and Android users, the app searches both online and local retailers for the product you seek, at the cheapest available price. Additional features include a built-in review aggregator, called AlaTest, to help locate customer feedback. Users can also scan and save items they would like to purchase at a later date, or put together wish lists that can be shared through Facebook, e-mail and/or SMS. What makes Red Laser a little different from Amazon Price Check is the use cases that it supports: scanning a tag in a store window to see if your size or color is in stock before entering a store, scanning a code on a product your friend just bought to see where it might be for sale and in stock, etc. It seems to have a lot more merchant friendly uses, which just might make it a little more interesting to merchants.

And, while it’s not the only barcode scanning app out there, RedLaser’s advantage over other apps comes from the fact that it was developed with non-autofocus cameras in mind, eliminating the need for a steady hand when shopping. Bonus – since the whole point of shopping is to have your Starbucks in one hand and shopping bags in another.

3. Giftiki

Giftiki is a Kickstarter for birthday presents. The platform allows gift-givers to pool their money in a combined account, and even helps bring mutual friends together by highlighting shared connections.

Giftiki users can set targets for gift money raising; then, once the target is achieved, the app (which can also be accessed over the web) automatically sends the cash to the intended recipient. Giftiki also links with Facebook to grab notifications for upcoming events, like birthdays.

4. Wheretogetit.com

Now, this is pretty nifty and taps into the consumer desire to buy the duds that are worn by their favorite celebs, and has created a consumer/merchant network to support that.

WhereToGetIt.com uses crowdsourcing to identify the brands behind the hottest items in fashion and retail. Users post photos of specific items to have them identified by other shop-savvy site members; then once an item’s true identity is confirmed, WTGI creates an affiliate link for the product as a revenue generator.

The site also functions as a social media tool, in that users are encouraged to rank answers to questions with points, badges and status recognition. It also offers lucky retailers upselling opportunities, as consumers’ attention is drawn to items they may not have been looking for beforehand.

5. Smoopa

Smoopa is another popular price comparison app that links to a database including prices from Amazon, Walmart, Target and other retailers. Once the item is recognized, a green or yellow icon will appear on the user’s screen, indicating whether the user can save money by buying it at a different location (yellow), or whether the price at the current location is a good one (green). Ouch.

Smoopa can also keep an eye on price changes for items saved to an in-app wish list, and send notifications when prices go down. The platform also keeps users coming back with loyalty rewards, like gift cards, rebate checks, and charitable donations.