Mobile barcode provider Scanbuy issued a press release recently detailing the increased amount of mobile barcode scans over Thanksgiving weekend as holiday shoppers embraced the technology in droves.
Scanbuy says barcode scanning via mobile devices has grown tenfold in 2010. Thanksgiving Day saw twice the average number of daily scans by consumers, and during the Black Friday shopping extravaganza, barcode scans shot up by 20 times the daily average when compared. Overall for the weekend, the number of scans was three times more than a normal weekend — making it more than 30 times last year’s ScanLife traffic.
“As consumers hit the shopping isles for Black Friday, and follow up with Online purchases on Cyber Monday, mobile barcodes play a pivotal role in helping savvy shoppers compare prices and choose the best gifts,” said Mike Wehrs, CEO and President of Scanbuy and former head of the Mobile Marketing Association in North America. “Barcodes offer the capability to extend the consumer-purchasing decision far beyond the small product placard on the store shelf.”
Scanbuy’s flagship product, “ScanLife,” consists of a multi-barcode reader application and interoperable Code Management Platform that has been a staple in the mobile barcode world for a long time and has made significant progress is educating consumers and brands to the benefits of mobile barcodes. In its release, Scanbuy goes on to detail some of the many benefits for consumers who have the power to scan UPC barcodes using their mobile phones, including:
- Shoppers find a popular item at their local store, but notice the price is too high. By scanning a barcode at the store, they will be sent a list of online retailers that are selling the same product at a lower price. They can use this information as leverage in the store to price match. It’s great for getting the hot, new Kinetic for Xbox360 without breaking the bank.
- Sometimes shoppers want the “hot product,” the one that is nearly impossible to find. Scanning a barcode will send the shopper a list of retailers selling that product with inventory in the area. This feature is ideal for those lastminute shoppers who don’t want to use the same excuse as last year.
- Books and DVDs are always popular gifts, but what are people saying about the latest releases? Simply scan a barcode and see instantly whether The Expendables or Eat, Pray, Love is the better stocking stuffer this year.
- For shoppers who love to brag about an amazing deal or sale they found, scanning a barcode will enable them to share it with friends on Facebook or email in a snap.
I for one have used barcode scanning apps a lot in the past, and will definitely continue to do so. Not every scan always produces a result, but more and more products from CPG suppliers are becoming interactive every day. 2010 has been a pivotal year for the concept of mobile barcodes, as more and more consumers carry app-centric devices that can easily scan a wide variety of barcodes. Do you use mobile barcodes? If so, which apps do you use and how often do you use them?