January 27, 2010

• JCPenney Launches 2D Barcode Coupons

  J. C. Penney Co. Inc. is letting shoppers ring up savings at the register using their mobile phones with a 2D-bar-code coupon program.
  
  JCPenney customers can download and carry coupons on their mobile phones that can be scanned directly from the phone’s display screen at the point of sale. The retail giant tapped Cellfire for the initiative, which claims it is a first-of-its-kind program for a U.S. retailer.

  “We recognize that this is where the customer is ultimately going, and we want to make sure we’re there and ready when the adoption curve ramps up,” said Dave Owen, development director for emerging digital media at JCPenney, Plano, TX. “Mobile is a convenient way for consumers to shop JCPenney and redeem coupons and we want to support that need.

  “The biggest thing is immediacy, because it puts the consumer in control,” he said. “Its a competitive advantage to have a coupon right on her phone, which provides true immediacy and a discount offer she didn’t have to plan for.”

  New imaging scanners from Motorola capable of reading these 2D bar-code coupons have been deployed at point-of-sale registers in 16 JCPenney stores in the Houston metro area.
  
  JCPenney makes coupons available in multiple venues, including newspaper circulars, postcard mailers if consumers are in its database, email communication as part of its regular cadence and now mobile.

  “Mobile is a good touchpoint with consumers, because instead of having to cut out a coupon or download it and print it, if they’re out and about and ready to make that decision about where to purchase, it provides an incentive to drop into a JCPenney,” Mr. Owen said.

  JCPenney is in the process of integrating 2D bar codes into its JCP Rewards loyalty program.

  “We hope this will provide an opportunity to exploit 2D bar codes to give JCP Rewards members added convenience,” Mr. Owen said. “We want to make it easy for members to redeem the monthly rewards they’ve earned.”

  • 11:43 pm
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