BrandsExclusive Blog

Power Retail: Exclusive Review – brandsExclusive Launches iPad App

Elizabeth Lambert | Power Retail | 3 April 2012

The online retail Gods have answered the prayers of at least one shopper, with brandsExclusive, a members-only e-tailer, becoming tablet commerce enabled with the release of its first tablet app this week.

Developed for the iPad and launching through Apple’s App Store, brandsExclusive has taken note of how its consumers are interacting with its store and is poised to be one of the first Australian retailers to become t-commerce accessible to its consumers. Please note: there is a big difference between creating an iPad or tablet-specific application and having a smart phone app that also works on tablet devices. Check out how the images render for a start, and also the way in which content can be utilised.

“Innovation by top Australian e-tailers is fuelling the mobile shopping trend, and brandsExclusive has always stayed ahead of the curve,” says Daniel Jarosch, Founding Director of brandsExclusive. “Our new iPad app will offer one of the leading mobile shopping experiences on iOS devices, which today are responsible for 20% of our website traffic, a 100% increase from a few months ago. We are keen to offer our members the best in technology as part of taking our convenient shopping experience to a whole new level.”

And convenience is indeed a key feature of the app.

The first thing the user notices are, interestingly enough, the images – bright, clear and effective (and there lies my case in point about tablet specific apps). The user can choose to browse through all the sales, or break it down, by women, men, children or living. For someone like myself, who usually has a good idea of what she wants, being able to immediately filter in this way is excellent. It’s efficient.

Browsing through brand sales can now also be refined via the iPad app. For example, I was specifically in the market for a jacket of some description, I entered a particular sale, and chose to filter the options to view the category of Jackets & Knits, in size 8 only.

Search refinement options on the brandsExclusive iPad App

The default setting for product images is set to large, letting the browser see more detail of the selected product.  Further zoom is also available.

Large product images give app users a better understanding of the product on offer.

There is also an option to  look at recently viewed products, which is great for comparing products in different sales, and helping the shopper decide on what to buy–a feature that, on a site where a shopper cannot yet purchase across different sales, must assist the e-tailer in reducing returns in those situations where customers change their minds.

Recently viewed product on the brandsExclusive iPad App.

The shopping cart process if simplified and laid out right in front of the shopper. I can my order, delivery options and payment options all visible at the same time.

Lastly, and perhaps on of the most important aspects, is that the iPad app supports all the necessary functions that are available on the brandsExclusive website, such as customer service requests, order tracking, inviting friends, use of vouchers and the store’s blog. And about the blog, it is exactly the type of content an iPad or tablet app lends itself so well to! Think Net-A-Porter, think ASOS, think Victoria’s Secret, and now think brandsExclusive. The blog adds to the appeal of an app that taps into the psyche of its customer extremely well – it remains chick and stylish while being useful and effective at the same time.

Being an avid user of the brandsExclusive iPhone app, I can’t see myself going back to it unless the iPad battery is flat. While the retailer’s updated iPhone app provided an easy mobile experience, in contrast, the iPad app is slicker, more efficient, sexier and offers greater accessibility. Overall, the brandsExclusive has created a fast and fluid dedicated app experience for iPad users.

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