The company is letting consumers shop its June “Call of the Wild” ebook and catch up with the latest fashion styles. Additionally, consumers can experience the creative process such as browsing the company’s how-to videos.

“Free People is always looking for ways to innovate and further engage our customers, and an e-catalog was a natural next step,” said Kathryn O’Connor, marketing manager at Free People Direct, Philadelphia.

“We created it in HTML5, so that iOS users could experience and interact with the multimedia content,” she said.
“As an example, the June e-catalog will allow customers to see the designer who made their dress – how she speaks, the way she styles herself, her drawings, and what inspires her.”

Mobile shopping
In addition to shopping via the mobile catalog, consumers can click through images, hair and make-up how to videos, interactive styling tips and browse new products.

According to Free People, creating a mobile catalog experience is not only about presenting the product anymore.

The company is sharing the e-book with bloggers and a sneak peek of the e-book will also be going up on its blog at http://blog.freepeople.com/.

Once the e-book is launched on June 6, it will be emailed to consumers, as well as featured on Facebook, Twitter, Free People’s Web site and its blog.

“Mobile penetration is growing and we’re seeing more customers visit us from iPads and phones,” Ms. O’Connor said.

“IPhone and Android tablets let users watch videos, click on links, shop, and look for style inspiration more easily every day,” she said. “Our goal was to make the brand easily accessible in our customers’ worlds, wherever they are.”

Evolution of mobile
Consumers are on the go and are increasingly tech-savvy.

More retailers are looking to the mobile space to engage with existing and new customers.

“Free People is always looking to provide a unique shopping experience,” Ms. O’Connor said. “We were quick to incorporate videos into our online shopping experience, and early bloggers and social media users.

“Mobile is an important area for us, and we’re excited about what it could become,” she said.