Target is one retailer that seems to have got this online thing figured out. Check out the Yahoo! home page (on Sunday):
Click on the tile ad (which can be geotargeted) and you go to a hosted version of the “newspaper” circular:
Note the left side of the page:
- Sign up for email reminders
- Sign up for mobile reminders
When you get into the circular you have a range of options, but it duplicates the layout and simulates the page-turning action of the physical, paper ad.
All this functionality is powered by ShopLocal. With a highly attractive and effective experience like this there’s additional danger that one of the top 10 newspaper advertisers will further decrease its ad spend.
Screenwerk 
September 28, 2009 at 3:26 am
I’ve seen Target use online only on weeks where they don’t normally do a print circular (e.g. Easter weekend). They still send out an email with an online-only circular.
http://blog.agrawals.org/2007/04/08/advertisers-disintermediating-newspapers-too/
Harris Teeter (a regional grocery chain) even targets your electronic circular based on your grocery card purchase history. Items that you’ve previously purchased that are on sale this week are flagged.
Target’s iPhone app is also very well done. They recently added a broad inventory check function. (UI on that needs some improvement, though.)
September 28, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Agreed, very cool. I just tried the iPhone app and – dare I say this – I actually prefer it to the Sunday paper version! I like how it is organized by store department. Now I can skip the “Fashion” or “Grocery & Essentials” departments and go directly to the departments that interest me most such as “Electronics”, “Home Improvement”, etc.
What happens to newspapers if digital Sunday circulars such as this actually pick up traction? Yikes.
September 29, 2009 at 3:48 pm
[…] on Kaboodle By Greg Sterling So I was busy being impressed with Target and its online ads (powered by ShopLocal). Now I’ve discovered that they’re […]
September 29, 2009 at 5:54 pm
As far as I know, ShopLocal powers major retailers’ (JCPenney, Walgreens, Staples, OfficeMax, RadioShack, PETCO, etc) online circulars, not just Target’s. Perhaps Target is promoting their’s a bit better, or am I missing something obvious that Target is doing and the others aren’t?
Cheers,
JKW
September 29, 2009 at 5:58 pm
No, ShopLocal is behind a bunch of retailers’ online efforts