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TECHNOLOGY Friday 2 december 2016
4 changes shoppers will see as they buy on their phones

ANNE D’INNOCENZIO week via email and social
AP Retail Writer media. Toys R Us is do-
NEW YORK (AP) — Shop- ing more flash sales, and
pers buying on their phones eBags introduced a page
this holiday season will see called “Steals and Deals”
new ways stores are mak- highlighting items that are
ing it easier and faster as heavily discounted for a
they try to lock in sales be- limited time.
fore people swipe to the Market Track, which moni-
next site. tored nearly 1,500 products
“It’s not just a shopper’s online from Thanksgiving
tool,” said Tamara Gaff- through Cyber Monday,
ney, principal analyst and says stores changed prices
director at Adobe Digital more often than last year,
Insights, the research arm and more were lowered
of Adobe Systems. “It’s than raised.
now so embedded in our Some 41 percent of prices
existence we don’t even shifted at least once, com-
think about the fact that pared with 27 percent last
we pulled out our phone year, said Traci Gregorski,
and bought things.” senior vice president of
Mobile shopping ac- marketing. About 16 per-
counted for $4.61 billion cent changed more than
in sales from Thanksgiving once, compared with only
through Monday, accord- 7 percent in 2015.SEEKING
ing to Adobe Digital In- In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012, file photo, Tashalee Rodriguez, of Boston, uses a smartphone app SPEEDIER SERVICE: People
sights. Some 54 percent of while shopping at Macy’s in downtown Boston. buying on the go want a
visits to retailers’ sites and Associated Press swifter response when they
36 percent of sales for the need help.
five-day period came from Retailers need to make it app including the browse according to a survey con- “When you have shop-
phones and tablets. easier to find items so shop- feature, said 70 percent of ducted over the weekend pers who are engaged,
Here are four ways smart- pers don’t quickly move Walmart.com traffic and by the National Retail Fed- you have to try to capture
phones are changing the on.“They want it fast,” said 60 percent of orders Thurs- eration trade group. Much as much revenue as you
way people shop — and Peter Cobb, co-founder day and Friday were driven of the drop had to do can,” said Kevon Hills, se-
how retailers are respond- and executive vice presi- by mobile devices. with the heavy discount- nior vice president of op-
ing: dent of eBags, which FOCUSED ON DEALS: Even ing shoppers demand. The erations at StellaService,
MORE IMPULSE BUY- says mobileaccounted for in an improving econo- NRF’s survey showed more which tracks customer ser-
ING: Mobile shopping en- 43 percent of visits and 20 my, shoppers are fixat- than 36 percent of shop- vice for retailers and online
tices people to buy right percent of sales for the five- ed on deals — and mo- pers said everything they companies.
when they’re thinking day period. The handbags bile phones make it easier bought this past weekend Two years ago, 97 percent
about it, Gaffney said, “It’s and luggage site now high- to grab them. was on sale, compared of retailers offered email as
this sense of urgency.” She lights the top five sales hits Customers look to have with 32.5 percent a year a way to interact with cus-
noted that retailers that to save people from sorting spent nearly 3.5 percent ago. tomers, but that fell to 81
had more mobile traffic through 90,000 products. less on average for the Retailers are shifting to a percent heading into this
enjoyed a 30 percent in- Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which four-day weekend starting stream of discounts and holiday season, StellaSer-
crease in online revenue. has worked to improve its Thursday than a year ago, alerts during the entire vice said.q

Facebook adds free games like ‘Pac-Man’ to Messenger app

BARBARA ORTUTAY cial network to get people Facebook tested the wa-
AP Technology Writer to spend even more time ters with two simple Mes-
NEW YORK (AP) — You can on its properties. senger games earlier this
now play “Pac-Man” with Messenger has a billion us- year — soccer and bas-
your Facebook Messenger ers. The app will recom- ketball, both of which in-
buddies. mend games based on volved flicking balls on the
Facebook is adding the whether your friends play. screen with your finger.
option to play games with Currently there is no way They proved popular.
your contacts on the mes- to play with people who Facebook has a long histo-
saging app beginning are not your Messenger ry with gaming, which be-
Tuesday. You can access contacts, so if your friends gan with “FarmVille” years
the feature in the latest ver- don’t like to play games, ago when people logged
sion of the app by tapping you are out of luck. in using desktop comput-
a game controller icon. Called “Instant Games,” ers. But since then, Face-
Games available include the feature will begin in book gaming has sort of
classics such as “Pac- 30 countries, with 17 titles, fallen by the wayside, even
Man,” ‘’Space Invaders” though more will come. as mobile games from
and “Galaga,” as well as In addition to Messenger, “Candy Crush” to “Poke- This image provided by Facebook shows a demonstration of
newer titles like “Words With users can also play solo mon Go” have remained Facebook’s new option to play games with contacts on Face-
Friends.” It’s the latest effort games in their Facebook popular. Facebook hopes book Messenger.
by the world’s biggest so- news feed. to change that with its In- Associated Press