ShopText is a relatively new company that launched in November 2006 and provides consumers with the ability to purchase items using their mobiles.
On their Web site the company explains their mobile retail concept. ” ShopText is a mobile commerce and promotions company. Our software platform transforms any advertisement into a point of sale opportunity. ShopText technology creates a secure, direct-to-consumer marketplace where consumers can shop, sample and save.”
To use the service consumers are required to register with the company and will need a credit card, a mobile phone that is text enabled and an email account. Users will be issued a secret PIN and will create their own password to access their account.
User can purchase a product when they see an advertisement with a ShopText logo by using their mobile phone and sending a text of the product keyword to the short code in the ad. The company will reply and confirm your purchase with your PIN.
Mark Kaplan, founder and chief marketing officer of ShopText told the New York Times,” E-commerce only represents a fraction of total retail – the thing that holds it back is it’s tethered to an Internet connection. The cell phones link products to media. When people get the impulse to buy, they have their cell phones.”
The company is partnering with other magazines such as Cosmo Girl, Lucky and Details to give advertisers another way to reach consumers interested in their products.
“I’ve always had a dream that girls should be able to buy what’s in the magazine,” said Susan Schulz, editor in chief of CosmoGirl, which is published by Hearst. “As she’s flipping through, I want her to be sitting there with her phone with her magazine. It will be very interactive.”
