When thinking of ways to attract the mobile shopper, Bare Necessities' chief marketing officer Jay Dunn is looking at it from a different perspective. In a recent interview at IRCE 2013, Dunn explained shopping on mobile devices is behavior based. The user behavior on a smartphone is different on a tablet and desktops or laptops. He has created a language within Bare Necessities and refers to mobile commerce as m-comm, ecommerce as e-comm and tablet commerce as t-comm in order to distinguish how the company approaches attracting the mobile shopper.

More than 200 million Chinese have moved from the countryside to cities in the last three decades, taking factory, construction and service jobs. They often don't have a computer, but most have at least rudimentary mobile phones, and one Chinese retailer is targeting this audience by selling exclusively through a mobile commerce site. Wuxi Maimaibao Information Technology Co. Ltd., founded in 2006, says its sales now exceed 100 million yuan ($16.3 million) per month and estimates its annual sales will reach 2 billion yuan ($327 million) this year, 100% growth from 1 billion yuan ($163 million) in 2012.

A British company called CloudZync has launched a new m-commerce platform, which is designed to allow smartphone owners to pay for products and services using their portable device of choice, according to Finextra. The service functions via a downloadable smartphone app, with user accounts synchronised to bank and payment card details. The CloudZync app is available for iOS and Windows Phone at the moment and the company is currently working on an Android version to broaden its user base. Payments can be made when the user fires up the app, enters their unique PIN and then presents the phone to …

Gilt is rolling out a new feature within its mobile applications and Web site that is aimed at tailoring the company's inventory of daily sales for a more customized shopping experience. The flash sales site sees mobile as critical in the launch of the "Your Personal Sale" personalization algorithm since the devices have smaller screen sizes. Consumers can shop the new "Your Personal Sale" feature on Gilt's iOS apps and Web site.

Accenture has released a new report concerning Internet services and mobile payments in Ireland. The report shows that Ireland is considered one of the leading countries when it comes to calls made through the Internet through services like Skype. Ireland is, however, lagging behind in terms of mobile payments. Mobile commerce has seen sluggish adoption throughout Ireland despite the interest that consumers have in online shopping and using their mobile devices in daily life.

"The Chore Score," an app that allows parents to create chore lists for their kids with rewards that can be redeemed at Sears stores or Sears.com, won the recent Sears Startup & Developer Challenge. The contest, held for three days, featured more than 150 participants using the Sears development API to create apps that would strengthen the experience of the Sears Shop Your Way membership program. "Part of our transformation into the world's greatest integrated retailer is our ongoing commitment to drive industry-leading innovation, fueled by world-class talent," said Imran Jooma, executive VP and president, marketing, online, pricing, and financial …

A Brazilian company has come up with a similar NFC-type of tech that they have called NearBytes. The new system created by Kinetics has been called NearBytes and it has already made its way into a handful of different apps for smartphone users to download. A NearBytes software development kit (SDK) has also been released for global developers. The SDK is meant to help NearBytes, which is regularly compared to the use of NFC technology, to be easily integrated into the applications and systems of developers. Like the Dhwani tech from Microsoft, this new type of tech uses sound waves …

Popeye's is following in the footsteps of other quick-service restaurants that rely on SMS for contests with a new campaign that encourages consumers to use their mobile device to interact with packaging for a chance at winning tickets to an exclusive concert. The fast food chain famous for its chicken is enlisting mobile as part of the brand's "Love That Chicken" promotion that correlates with National Fried Chicken month in September. In addition to SMS, Popeye's is also using mobile photo-sharing and video applications to build brand awareness around the brand's theme song.

Credorax, a Boston-based company that has developed a platform for taking the headache out of processing payments, announced today that it has received a $40 million investment from growth equity investor FTV. The company's "ePower" platform, which is currently licensed across all European Union countries, makes it easy for merchants to start processing payments, offers built-in fraud protection tools, and gives them a way to analyze their payments. Credorax says it will use the funding to continue building its platform, client support and global footprint.

M-Pesa is a mobile money transfer and payment service provided by Mobile Commerce Solutions Ltd or MSCL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vodafone group company, and ICICI Bank Ltd. You have to be a Vodafone customer to use this facility; you need not be an ICICI Bank customer though. So far, M-Pesa has been rolled out in Mumbai, Delhi-National Capital Region, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. First, you need to visit an M-Pesa outlet to register yourself (find an agent at Mpesa.in). There, you need to fill up a form and provide identity and address proofs such as Permanent Account …