Downloading an app for every store you frequent takes up time, data and space. ShopKick combines all your favorites into one simple app and rewards you for just taking a stroll down the aisle.
It’s not really a new app, having started in 2009, but it is starting to pick up speed. The ShopKick app lets you earn points that you can cash in for a prize at the end. You can gain points from various retailers such as Best Buy, Old Navy, JC Penney and Target, as well as Visa and MasterCard. Just by walking into the door of any of the participating stores, you will be given points; no purchase necessary.
ShopKick works by detects the Wi-Fi zone of the retailer and is notified of your being there. Once you are in their store, there’s nothing else that you have to do to receive those points.
There are, however, more points earned for staying in the store. If you go to Meijer (which, by the way, is 100 points) you will receive a list of a few items that are featured for the day. Just like a scavenger hunt, you can go to find each item and scan the barcode with your phone. Deals of the day will also show up once you have entered a store.
Senior Jackie Shively says, “I downloaded ShopKick after [my professor] told us about it and now I’m addicted. I get so excited when I see stuff that I buy already on the list of products!”
To get rewarded for your shopping, you must first look through all the prizes they have available. This includes everything from a free coffee up to a Michael Kor’s handbag. You select the prize you want to work towards and start accumulating points until you reach your goal.
The app isn’t without its downfalls. Freshman Michaela Rutherford says, “It’s pretty good. However, the Kroger next to my house is not on the list but every other Kroger is. It’s the place I go most often and I don’t get any points for it.”
This app is currently only available for iPhone and Android users, but ShopKick is the most used shopping app and comes just behind companies like eBay and Amazon in the amount of consumer usage.
Part of the reason that this app is so successful is that customers don’t want to download and maintain multiple store applications; having one app for numerous shopping sites cuts down on data usage and time. Not to mention, a trip to the mall could earn you hundreds or even a thousand points in one shopping trip.
Be sure to test out the app for yourself and start raking in those points!