Neiman Marcus, Visa Team On Fashionable Mobile Service

Neiman-Marcus-B2Department store Neiman Marcus is teaming with Visa to launch a service that delivers special offers, fashion news, and sneak previews to shoppers on their mobile devices.

Called nmbuzz, the new program is open to Neiman Marcus customers who enroll their eligible Visa account and mobile phone number.

Through Visa's real-time messaging technology, users receive information via SMS text messages from nmbuzz while shopping with an enrolled Visa card up to two times per week.

For instance, after using their card to make a purchase at a retailer near a local Neiman Marcus store, a shopper might get a message about an upcoming beauty event there featuring a gift with a purchase.

Users can opt out of the service -- which doesn't include a direct m-commerce capability -- at any time by text message.

“At Neiman Marcus, we always strive to exceed our customers' expectations,” stated Wanda Gierhart, CMO for Neiman Marcus Group Services. “This technology allows us to be in touch with many of our Neiman Marcus customers in a way we know they prefer.”

In May, the luxury retailer began its 4,000 sales associates at full-line stores with smartphones in order to better serve customers. Neiman Marcus also partnered with Foursquare, last year running a promotion that encouraged people to “check in” to see if they were in the vicinity of one of 15 hidden Nancy Gonzalez handbags, each worth about $1,400.

The launch of nmbuzz also reflects Visa's efforts to expand its mobile offerings. This spring, the company announced the beta lauch of its digital wallet service called V.me with online retailer Buy.com. Also, Visa card payments are supported within Google Wallet, its own mobile wallet service. Neiman Marcus itself only began accepting Visa cards in the last year.

The companies did not disclose any financial terms of the deal.

 

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