Seattle’s Hyatt Regency Bellevue hotel is attempting to raise communication efforts between staff and guests by leveraging a two-way SMS cloud-based solution that is also set to save the hotel thousands of dollars each year. The hotel claims to be the first using mobile-based two-way communication that also powers other technologies at the same time, such as digital signage, push notifications and guest requests. 

Easton’s Group of Hotels, a Canadian hospitality brand, is leveraging a crowdsourced-driven mobile loyalty program to drive more customer traffic to its properties and bolster its community of fans. The group is partnering with the MoPals.com rewards platform, which encourages guests to check-in to its mobile applications upon arrival at a hotel and share their travel experiences in exchange for digital currency. Members of MoPals can then exchange the rewards or currency for dining experiences, room accommodations and other hotel services.

The growth of mobile use in China is closely related to the growing popularity of mobile messaging app WeChat, which hit 468 million monthly active users this year. The app’s rapid ascent to become China’s top mobile messaging site has had many luxury brands rushing to set up their official accounts. Mobile dominance has huge implications for online luxury shopping as well. A survey released by marketing agency DigitasLBi in April found that 70 percent of Chinese respondents had made a purchase via smartphone within the past three months. 

Starbucks is leading the way when it comes to mobile payments. The company has emerged as a sort of unexpected competition for Google, Apple, and others that have invested heavily in mobile commerce. Google was among the most aggressive companies to enter into this market with its Wallet platform. Apple followed suit years late with Apple Pay. Neither of these services have managed to become mainstream successes in the mobile commerce field, but Starbucks’ mobile payment app has. In 2013, 90% of all mobile transactions made in the United States were conducted in Starbucks stores, according to CEO Howard Schultz.

Payments made via near field communications (NFC)-enabled mobile handsets will account for $130 billion in worldwide consumer retail spend by 2020, according to a study by Strategy Analytics. This equates to 254 million mobile users making five payments per month at an average of just below $9 per transaction.   The report "Global Mobile NFC Payments to Exceed $130 Billion by 2020," quantifies the scale of the NFC-based mobile payment opportunity and identifies the launch of Apple Pay initiatives by payment networks to drive contactless payment acceptance among retailers, and consumer demand for mobile payments, as three key catalysts for …

During the final week of the holiday shopping season, Target is ramping up efforts to bring added convenience to last-minute shoppers via a variety of mobile services, including special offers, store pickup and gift cards. According to a new survey from location-based mobile app Retale, 20 percent of all holiday shoppers wait until the last-minute to buy their gifts and 58 percent will use smartphones or tablets to help them shop.

One of the most highlighted features of the iPhone, since the iPhone 5S model, has been “Touch ID”. The feature involves the use of a dedicated fingerprint biometric scanner. It has been highly useful for a number of in-app logins and other security features. For the Apple Pay service, in the recent iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models, Touch ID acts as a key component for payment authentication. When Apple has updated its iOS to version 8, we witnessed Touch ID opening up to third party developers. Now Google has taken advantage of this and has integrated Touch ID …

The past year has been a steep climb for many retailers — those that are still climbing, that is, and not just plateauing or falling. There are all kinds of developments from 2014 that retailers can take to heart next year. We can’t name them all, but decided there are eight that some retailers may not have at top of mind — but should. These developing trends in the retail industry will have resonating implications in 2015...and in the years that follow.

Ugg Australia, a division of Deckers Brands, has taken its omnichannel commitment to a new level with the opening of its store in Tysons Galleria, McLean, Va. The technology-driven, 2,110-sq.-ft. store features the latest in omnichannel solutions and RFID innovations that combine to make for a more seamless and connected customer experience. The store integrates elements of online shopping into the physical space, allowing customers to browse and purchase the nearly 230 SKUs on display as well as the expanded selection of UGG products that are available online.  Shoppers can customize products via a program that allows them to make …

Many businesses continue to treat mobile as just another channel, dooming them to failure because they are not taking advantage of the new revenue and service opportunities mobile provides, according to a new report from Forrester. In the report, Mobile Is Not A Channel, Forrester outlines its vision for how businesses can succeed in mobile, including opportunities that will take shape in 2015.