Shopping On-the-Go? Yes…There’s an App for That: mark Launches Portable Shopping Application

September 19, 2011 03:12 PM Eastern Daylight Time 

Rome Data

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--mark, the beauty and fashion boutique brand created by Avon Products, announces the launch of its first mobile sales application: a portable version of its online store. The new application allows mark representatives to share their favorite mark products and complete sale transactions with their customers anytime, anywhere. mark’s mobile application was developed in collaboration with ROAM Data, a leading mCommerce platform provider, to offer mCommerce capabilities on mobile phones and devices that are similar to those of the mark representatives’ online boutiques.

“mark mobile represents true innovation in direct selling. Gone are the days of filling out cumbersome paper forms and insecurely writing down credit card numbers to fulfill orders”

“mark representatives are already sharing and wearing their favorite fashion and beauty trends while on-the-go and now they have the opportunity to boost their business in the process by making a sale on the spot,” says Annemarie Frank, Executive Director, Digital and Business Development for mark. “A recent survey of our mark representatives revealed that 99 percent of them carry their phones most or all of the time. Observing the continuing shift of consumer sales from in-store to online, we knew creating a mobile application would put the power of sales in our representatives’ hands all the time.”

mark’s mobile application was developed to enable mobile catalog browsing, secure order entry and electronic payment functions, allowing sales to be completed easily and efficiently. Using the mobile application, mark brand representatives have the ability to search and share specific products, and process customer orders and credit cards securely in real-time. A future release will include the ability for a representative to swipe a credit or debit card with a secure card reader plugged into the smartphone that provides further convenience for consumers and cost savings for the company.

"mark mobile represents true innovation in direct selling. Gone are the days of filling out cumbersome paper forms and insecurely writing down credit card numbers to fulfill orders,” says Rob Stringer, Vice President of Marketing and Products at ROAM. “mark is at the forefront of leveraging mobile technology to improve its representatives' businesses. We at ROAM are proud to partner with such a forward-thinking company and will continue to innovate to help mark's mobile business succeed."

mark representatives will be able to redeem coupon codes for mark promotions. After a purchase is made, customers will get an e-mail confirmation of their purchase. mark’s mobile application is free of cost to mark representatives and is available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and various Android smartphones and tablets. It can be downloaded in the iTunes App Store and the Android Marketplace.

A significant benefit of being a mark representative is having the opportunity to develop valuable business skills, which are learned through managing a small business. mark’s mobile application gives mark representatives a high tech and high touch advantage, allowing them to combine in person business skills with cutting edge technology while earning commission on sales.

About mark

mark is an expertly edited, on-trend beauty & fashion boutique brand that connects, engages and empowers young women to express their individuality and make their mark…in their own way, on their own terms. mark was created by Avon Products, Inc. in 2003 to re-imagine direct selling for the digital age and has been providing young women with the opportunity to open and grow their own businesses ever since.

mark’s customizable product portfolio includes first-to-market beauty innovations and on-trend fashion and accessories items. The portfolio is currently available for purchase in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. For more information, visit www.meetmark.com or follow mark on Facebook at facebook.com/mark-girl, Twitter @markgirl or on YouTube atyoutube.com/markgirlTV.

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

About ROAM Data

ROAM Data is the leading mCommerce platform provider that extends both physical Point of Sales (POS) and eCommerce to the mobile environment. It provides patented mCommerce software-as-a-service, payment peripherals, and a platform of development tools that enable scalable mobile commerce applications to help merchants win customer spend and loyalty.

Examples of ROAM applications include ROAMpay X, that turns merchants’ mobile devices into secure POS terminals to accept payment anywhere; ROAMoffers and ROAMwallet, that enables merchants to deliver compelling offers to their consumers’ cell phones that can be conveniently and securely acted upon. ROAM also provides a set of tools (APIs, SDK, IDE) for developers to build their own mobile POS or eCommerce apps on ROAM’s platform. Visit us at www.roamdata.com.

Contacts

Kaplow
Jacqueline Agosta, 212-221-1713
jagosta@kaplowpr.com
or
mark
Jessica Goon, 212-282-8082
Jessica.goon@avon.com
or
ROAM Data
Rob Stringer, 857-254-2411
rstringer@roamdata.com