GNC is using the mobile medium to advance its multichhanel retail support strategy to provide customers access to its health and nutrition-related products wherever and whenever.

Since launching a new mobile Web site in December, the retailer has released the GNC Livewell app that lets customers shop for products, check prices, locate stores and take advantage of exclusive discounts. Both the mobile app and the site were created by Branding Brand.

?The app is way for them to communicate with customers about deals and it allows loyalty club members to use their device in place of the physical card,? said Christopher Mason, managing director of Branding Brand, Pittsburgh, PA.

?The app also serves as a platform to help customers manage their supplements,? he said.

GNC is a supplier of vitamins, supplements, minerals and sports nutrition products.

GNC offers customers app-only discounts.

Key to success
For retailers looking to develop a mobile site, the most important thing to keep in mind is creating a user-friendly experience for customers.

The mobile experience should mirror the one shoppers get via PC. 

?The mobile customer has different use-cases they are trying to solve,? Mr. Mason said. ?For example, they want to know where the nearest store is on a geo-targeted basis.?

Loyal customers are accustomed to the look and feel of a brand, so keeping design and branding colors uniform is key.

?If the ?add to cart? button is orange on the PC site, it should be orange on the mobile site, making it more recognizable for customers,? Mr. Mason said. ?The user interface dictates the overall expression of what the brand is all about.?

Mr. Mason compared the experience to Google searching, explaining that in the same way people are trained to recognize?and maybe ignore?the sponsored links as opposed to the natural search results, people recognize certain parts of a retailer?s Web site.

Not translating these aspects of the PC site to mobile risks losing customers.

Gold card holders
Members of GNC?s Gold Card Loyalty program will benefit most from the app. Users enter their card number upon opening GNC Livewell, which then stores the information.

When the customer makes purchases through the app in the future, the number is already in the database, and it can also be used to track order history and loyalty points.

For in-store shoppers, the app eliminates the need to present the Gold Card at check-out, so long as the registered mobile device is handy. Shoppers can think of the app as a mobile loyalty card.

?The key is to provide valuable solutions for the mobile GNC customer,? Mr. Mason said.