The app, anticipated to go live for Black Friday this year, will contain features that originated from customer feedback as well as downsized content and large images to provide an ample amount of information for the shopper. A label that aims to please and relate to its customer, Combatant Gentlemen is able to give its brand an edge by leveraging mobile despite its online limitations.

“Very few companies walk the walk when it comes to customer feedback,” said Hafez Adel, marketing strategist for Combatant Gentlemen, San Francisco. “We plan for the app to be very visually oriented to entice shoppers.”

Convincing features
Instead of using the app to share editorial content, developers decided to make the app experience solely about shopping.

The app will feature an existing tool available to customers that suggests sizes based on measurements that shoppers already know.

The tool was a customer generated idea that the label, also known as Combat Gent, decided to pursue, furthering an effort to truly focus on customer insight and provide a seamless shopping experience.

To further ease the stress associated with online shopping, the fashion label will suggest app users to create profiles that can be referenced later.

Combat Gent executives plan to use push notifications to drive usage of the app with promotions, but knows this tool must be approached with ease. To avoid users from backing out of subscriptions to push notifications, executives will focus on timed efforts and will not overuse the channel.

Mr. Adel mentioned online retailer Just Fab and how it entices shoppers with its display of beautiful images to provoke purchases and hopes the Combat Gent app will mimic those same efforts.

Constant relevancy
Combat Gent’s social efforts have also taken center stage in an effort to stand out among online retailers.

The brand launched an Instagram campaign June 4 to promote a new denim collection, seeking user-generated content from its members.

The initiative meant to market a new line of jeans, but has also increased awareness by nearly tripling Combatant Gentlemen’s followers on Instagram. The brand granted a one-week submission period to its followers and is announcing winners throughout the week of June 9-15 (see story).

In past years, online-only retailers were likely seen as disadvantaged, but with an increase of mobile sales, Combat Gent can use specialized features and quality photography on the new app to drive sales and provide an experience that customers will enjoy.

“An app should be beautiful,” Mr. Adel said. “It isn’t just a mini site.”

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Commerce Daily, New York