Neiman Marcus strengthens in-store mobile support

A lot of retailers are making it easy for customers to shop in store with their mobile phones, but what about those pesky batteries?



Neiman Marcus is addressing the often forgotten Achilles heel of mobile commerce – the frustratingly short life of many smartphone batteries. The luxury chain is expanding a partnership with mobile charging station provider ChargeItSpot with a planned nationwide rollout that will result in 37 mobile phone charging stations installed across 30 locations.



The retailer installed its first ChargeItSpot kiosks the week of May 16 in its Washington, D.C., and Tysons Corners, Virginia, stores. Rollout will continue through September. These custom-designed units are designed to reflect the Neiman Marcus aesthetic from the design exterior to the digital onscreen capability to the lights in each kiosk’s eight secure lockers. In addition, users receive a personalized SMS text message when they pick up their charged phone.



“At Neiman Marcus, superior customer service starts with a great overall experience in the store,” said Wanda Gierhart, CMO, Neiman Marcus Group. “The ChargeItSpot kiosks allow our customers to charge their phones securely while they shop. It is very important to us that we work with technology to continue to improve our customers’ experience.”