Target's In a Snap App: Mobile Shopping Via Image Recognition
By Brianna Aheard, contributing writer
CBS News reported July 23 Target has launched In a Snap, an app that allows consumers to shop by taking an image. The image recognition technology lets shoppers find information from Target's marketing materials and pages of certain magazines. The merchandise is then placed into a shopping cart to be purchased. The introduction of In a Snap gives their consumers a way to shop on the go by using the cameras on Apple iPod, iTouch and iPad devices. The new app is now available in the Apple iTunes store as a free download.
In partnership with 10 home décor magazines such as Real Simple, Target will allow consumers to take a photograph of an advertisement and find information on all of the merchandise pictured. Items marked with an In a Snap icon will let shoppers know the page can be read by the app. Reports say In a Snap currently only recognizes items Target stocks, and the app is still in a “testing” stage. Via a User Feedback function, the app's users can submit In a Snap feedback to the corporate headquarters. Target states to CBS News that the In a Snap research and development stage took a year to complete, while it was six to eight weeks to create the app.
In a Snap isn't the first app release from Target, as the retailer currently offers Cartwheel, a mobile savings application. Cartwheel is available on iOS and Android devices, and lets shoppers browse for discounts from 5% to 50% off. Shoppers can collect the discounts on the app into a bundle, and then display a special barcode to be scanned at the store. Cartwheel has over 7.7 million users and the app delivered over $84 million in savings its first year. Cartwheel also offers social media integration, where app users can share their discounts with friends on Facebook. It's unclear whether In a Snap will integrate a similar feature with Facebook.
The 2014 back-to-school Target catalog integrates with In a Snap, allowing parents and students to shop instantly the products within by taking a picture. Unlike other shopping apps, In a Snap doesn't require a QSR or UPC code to retrieve product information. Amazon will launch a similar image recognition shopping experience when the Fire phone arrives. The feature, known as Firefly, lets shoppers look for items on Amazon.com, and it reportedly can recognize over 100 million items. It's unknown whether In a Snap will feature more partnerships with magazines or expand its image recognition abilities at this time.