Burger King Eyes iPhone Users
Fast food retailer Burger King is the latest retailer to launch
an iPhone application in an attempt to drive sales and win customer loyalty. According to QSR Magazine, a new Burger King iPhone application allows customers to automatically place orders.
Using a platform developed by restaurant mobile technology provider
GoMobo, Burger King is also allowing customers to automatically log in to locate nearby stores via GPS, as well as receive targeted incentives based on their mobile ordering history.
According to research firm
Gartner, iPhone developer
Apple sold about
11.1 million units in 2008, so it is not surprising that retailers are beginning to reach out to iPhone users. In April, online retailer Amazon purchased the developer of an e-book
reader application for the iPhone and iPod touch devices.
In December 2008,
Target launched an iPhone application called the Target Gift Globe to help customers find gifts. After opening the application, the customer selects age, gender, and other attributes to focus a gift search. The screen turns into falling snow (a “snow globe”) that, when shaken, dissipates to reveal a gift recommendation that they can click to purchase through Target.com or find at a nearby store.
In addition, in February,
Conde Nast shopping publication
Lucky released a limited-time
iPhone application called Lucky At Your Service that allowed readers find and reserve shoes listed in its March shoe guide at nearby retailers. Lucky plans to release similar iPhone applications in conjunction with future issues.
Retailers are also looking beyond just the iPhone to launch mobile applications. For example, Best Buy offers more than 140,000
smartphone applications from mobile software provider
Handango for the Blackberry, Palm, and Symbian S60 mobile platforms.
