Canadian retailer Bootlegger is taking a two-prong approach to mobile commerce with a new site and iPhone application that lets consumers shop and find nearby stores.

According to Bootlegger, the brand decided to roll out a mobile site and app once mobile began generating one-third of all incoming traffic. Bootlegger worked with GPShopper to develop the new site and app.

“We could see the growing interest on the part of our customers to access our brand on the go,” said Chelsea Day, ecommerce manager at Bootlegger, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada.

“The volume of traffic to Bootlegger.com from mobile devices grew to over a third of total visits in a very short time frame, and we knew we were letting customers down with a desktop site that was not optimal for browsing or shopping,” she said.

“The decision to develop an iPhone app in addition to the mobile Web site was supported by the market penetration of iPhone with our target customer, and our desire to remain top-of-mind with loyal customers every time they turn on their phone.”

Bootlegger is a national retailer in Canada that specializes in blue jeans.

Driving mobile sales
Consumers who either access Bootlegger’s mobile site or download the company’s app can now shop the brand’s full line of products.

The mobile site and app’s homepage features current promotions and offers that scroll across the top of the screen, and there is a search bar at the top of the page where consumers can type in keywords and style numbers if they are looking for something specific.

There is also a call-to-action to promote gift card sales on the homepage.

Products can be shared via Facebook, helping to spread the word about the brand to friends and family.

Additionally, consumers can look up product availability at nearby stores.  The app and site also use a device’s built-in GPS to find nearby stores, including maps and directions.

Inventory look-up is only available on mobile and is one of the features that has generated positive feedback from consumers, per Ms. Day.

The app and site also let consumers create accounts and connect with Bootlegger’s social media platforms.

Bootlegger’s mobile site

Connecting in-store and online
Bootlegger’s mobile site and app include features to drive online sales in addition to increasing foot traffic to bricks-and-mortar stores.

For instance, the brand’s app includes a bar code scanner that uses a device’s built-in camera to let consumers access inventory and reviews for products.

“For our customer, like most shoppers, the concept of separate retail channels has no meaning,” Ms. Day said.

“Their shopping experience might start in online and then lead to in-store, and mobile is the device that bridges them both,” she said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York