Online retailer Zappos is continuing its mobile push with an iPad magazine that lets consumers shop its popular looks.

The monthly iPad app adds editorial content to its digital catalog of products and shows consumers how to style shoes and accessories. Users who shop via the app also get an extra incentive with next-day delivery.

“The goal of the Zappos ZN app is to provide a fun and interactive way for readers to explore exclusive, editorial-style content about the styles and trends we love at Zappos,” said Carrie Whitehead, product and design lead for Zappos ZN at Zappos.com, Henderson, NV.

“Zappos currently has iPhone, iPad and Android apps that provide great experiences for shopping the entire catalog, and we complement these with a curated experience focusing on style and trends,” she said.

Tap into style
The Zappos ZN app shows users edited picks from the retailer’s inventory.

Users can view street style reports that show users how to wear Zappos products in real life.

The app also includes full-length feature articles on artists and designers.

Throughout the digital magazine, users can also answer lifestyle-based polls and questions that tie in with Zappos’ products.

Here is an example of a question that consumers are asked via the app

Consumers can share articles and products with their friends and family via social media and email.

The Zappos app also displays editors’ picks by price range, which helps consumers slim down their choices based on how much they are willing to spend.

Every product inside the app is shoppable. Once users select a product, they are taken to a mobile-optimized page to buy the item.

As an incentive for using the app, Zappos is giving consumers free, next-day shipping on all Zappos ZN orders.

In order to qualify for next-day shipping, users must order products by 1 p.m. pacific time every day.

“As a digital magazine, ZN is focused on discovering products through browsing articles around trends, stylist’s picks, up-and-coming designers, gift ideas and more,” Ms. Whitehead said.

More on mobile
Zappos is the latest retailer to tap into digital magazines.

For example, the British line ASOS also released an iPad magazine earlier this year (see story).

Retail editorial apps let consumers see  products they may be interested in with a broader perspective  by seeing trend reports and pictures of how consumers wear the products.

By being updated monthly, the apps also establish themselves as being a consistent style source for consumers, similar to a fashion magazine.

The Zappos app is the latest mobile endeavor by the retailer which has also dabbled in other branded apps, a mobile site and QR codes.

“On one hand we are constantly looking to push innovation and try out different, sometimes risky things, and on the other hand we are looking to build out an infrastructure for customers and internal business users to be able to access and target mobile customers directly,” said Alex Kirmse, head of mobile for Zappos, Henderson, NV.

“Ultimately, the mobile strategy still falls in line with the larger Zappos strategy of having the absolutely best customer experience possible,” he said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York