Hollister lets customers share mobile purchases
Hollister Co. is rolling out a new way for third parties pay on its mobile app, using in-house-developed technology.
The global teen retailer, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., is unveiling Share2Pay. The new, patent-pending mobile payment option allows customers to share their digital shopping bag with their purchaser (such as a parent or grandparent) to complete the purchase. According to Hollister, this solution aims to bridge the gap between how teenagers shop and how their parents, for example, pay.
Through analysis of proprietary research at parent company Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister identified a key point of frustration in its customers’ buying process—most teen shoppers do not hold purchasing power. Instead, their online shopping bags often remain idle until they are in the same physical space as the payer. To address this issue, the Hollister digital and product experience team developed Share2Pay.
To use the new payment option, shoppers on the Hollister mobile app can add their desired products to their digital shopping bag as they browse online. When ready to check out, the shopper can select “Share2Pay” and a link is sent to the purchaser via text message.
The purchaser then clicks the link, and the products are added to the Hollister bag in the purchaser’s mobile app, where they can review the items and pay. The functionality also allows the purchaser to edit the bag for size or color and add or remove items before checking out.
Through testing, which included a soft launch of the technology earlier in 2022, Hollister found that customers who shared their bag through Share2Pay placed orders at almost two times the rate of other customers.
“Hollister has been at the forefront of creating seamless shopping for our teen customers and we’re excited to officially add a new payment functionality to our suite of tools. By listening to our customers and understanding the dynamic between the purchaser and wearer, we discovered a way to reduce friction,” said Samir Desai, Abercrobmie & Fitch Co. chief digital and technology officer. “Introducing new patent-pending technology like Share2Pay allows us to make shopping for teens and parents easier. I’m incredibly proud of the fully in-house team that ideated and developed this new payment solution, which we believe will optimize our teens’ experience, while converting more mobile purchases. In line with our test and learn culture, we’ll continue to listen to feedback and iterate on this innovative technology.”
At its launch, Share2Pay is available to all users on the Hollister mobile app in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Abercrombie continues digital shift
Hollister parent Abercrombie & Fitch has been gradually rolling out new digital capabilities in the past couple of years. In October 2021, the retailer partnered with Uber, Shipt, Postmates, Roadie, and software provider Delivery Solutions to expand its fulfillment capabilities and allow customers at more than 540 Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie Kids, Hollister, and Gilly Hicks locations to receive deliveries from its stores within the same day.
Abercrombie also entered a new partnership with Zappos in August 2021. Zappos is now the apparel retailer’s exclusive U.S. e-commerce partner, including for women’s and kids’ merchandise. In addition, Abercrombie, in collaboration with Zappos, is launching a footwear collection for women.
And in May 2021, Abercrombie’s Hollister Co. division introduced a new brand, called “Social Tourist,” featuring trend-forward fashions inspired and co-created by two social media stars and influencers - TikTok celebrities Charli and Dixie D’Amelio.