Victoria’s Secret is combating shopping cart abandonment by enabling its mobile site shoppers to tap a button that lets them instantly add a valid promotion to their shopping carts, eliminating the need to manually type in discount codes on the checkout page.

The lingerie giant – which is currently undergoing some restructuring of its businesses – is attempting to prompt more consumers to complete a transaction on its mobile site by implementing a new commerce-friendly feature. Individuals browsing the brand’s daily offers or product pages will now spot a small button bearing the name of an eligible promotional code, which they may tap to add into their virtual baskets, ensuring they will not miss an available discount or freebie.

“If online shopping is not easy and convenient, consumers are highly likely to forgo the final purchase,” said Laura Sossong, senior consultant at Boston Retail Partners. “According to a recent study, nearly 70 percent of shoppers abandon their online shopping cart.

“By making it simpler to purchase merchandise at a discount, Victoria’s Secret is providing shoppers with an elevated incentive to buy more often and in larger quantities – and reduce cart abandonment.”

Tightening up sales potential
Victoria’s Secret is placing a higher focus on its millennial and younger consumers these days, as evidenced by its strong push for mobile commerce prowess and the restructuring of its business model.

Last week, the retailer announced it will no longer stock its swimwear line after this year, as it prefers to turn its attention to its growing activewear collection instead. Activewear has proven to be one of the most sought-after types of apparel among younger shoppers.

In the meantime, Victoria’s Secret is further optimizing its mobile site, choosing to make the shopping process even more enticing by including easily-addable offers.

Consumers visiting its mobile site can head to the “Today’s Offers” section to view the available deals, and may click on the name of the eligible promotional code to instantly add it to their shopping carts. Once this has been successfully completed, a small banner reading “Offer Added” will pop up, and the accompanying check mark will change color.

This functionality is also available for shoppers unaware of the day’s deals. If an individual is browsing for a specific product on a day when there is an eligible promotion, an informational banner will appear atop the screen.

For example, over the weekend, consumers were able to receive a free tote bag with each perfume purchase of 1.7 ounces or higher by using the code “BEACHY.” Instead of having to remember this code and manually type it in on the payment page, they could simply tap the “BEACHY” promotional button and have the offer added to their basket.

Then, once they proceeded to checkout, the complimentary tote bag was already waiting in their shopping cart.

This feature could be extremely effective at inspiring last-minute sales and cinching an undecided customer’s purchase.

If individuals are browsing the site with no real purchase intent but spot the available promotion, they may feel compelled to take advantage of it. Similarly, consumers wanting to buy a new bra or sleepwear set could be prompted to complete the checkout process if they discover they are also eligible for a freebie, discount code or free shipping offer.

Other retailers could conceivably be inspired to implement instant add-on promotional codes into their mobile sites or applications as well.

“Injecting ease into the shopping experience should be a top priority for all ecommerce retailers,” Ms. Sossong said. “As success of the ‘Amazon experience’ has proven, today’s consumers spend more when the number of clicks or steps in the checkout process decreases, and convenience is even more imperative when consumers are shopping on their phones.”

Building on previous advancements
Victoria’s Secret has been ramping its up mobile presence with increased fervor over the last year, highlighting its dedication to being a digital leader in the retail industry. The brand typically employs a two-pronged approach to its sales initiatives by driving equal amounts of customer traffic to its mobile site or app and its social media channels.

It spiked sales ahead of spring break by asking Instagram followers to upload a photo showcasing their Friday activities for a chance to win a gift card, and also rolled out promotions to coincide with the contest (see story).

Additionally, Victoria’s Secret built its swimwear line with a mobile-optimized platform on which users could mix and match bikini tops and bottoms, reflecting the growth of convenient and individualized shopping experiences (see story).

“Regardless of channel or platform, all retailers should place heavy emphasis on technology and processes that make the purchasing process as seamless and effortless as possible,” Ms. Sossong said.