• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, July 18, 2012

Macy’s is the latest retailer to go national with the shopkick mobile rewards system. One of shopkick’s launch partners two years ago, the department store is extending the program to all of its 800 stores starting today.

Using the shopkick smartphone app, customers earn points, called “kicks,” by simply by walking into participating retail locations and by scanning select product bar codes. Points can be redeemed for gift cards, song downloads, movie tickets and other rewards.

A new wrinkle with Macy’s shopkick rollout is that it won’t require each store to install a $100 transmitter that detects when a shopkick user enters the location. Instead, Macy’s and other retailers using a common in-store audio system made by Mood Media Corp. will be able to tap that technology to emit signals picked up by the shopkick app.

Mood Media says it works with 580,000 commercial locations in over 40 countries across North America, Europe Asia and Australia.

Shopkick is now in more than 7,000 stores and 250 malls nationwide. Besides Macy’s other major retailers using its mobile rewards service include American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Crate & Barrel and Target. The shopkick app is available for the iPhone and Android phones.