Lotte Card's consumer app gain popularity
A model holds up mobile devices with Lotte Card’s Smart Consumer app uploaded on them at a Lotte Mall in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Lotte Card
By Cho Mu-hyun
Lotte Card’s “Smart Consumer” application for mobile devices is becoming an indispensible assistant tool for customers.
The firm’s app, the first of its kind according to the company, provides information to subscribers of Lotte’s affiliates across the country based on reviews written by others.
It recently acquired 2.5 million review posts, which the company says is a proof of its popularity as well as the wide variety of information available on it.
Only Lotte subscribers who have actually used an affiliate’s service can post his or her evaluations on it, making the app relatively immune to false posts.
Those who used a Lotte-issued card on a member store can use the app immediately and can get a free gift coupon once they finish the review.
Lotte said the app features all of the firm’s 2.5 million affiliates irrelevant of the kind of business they run: most applications are limited to information of certain industries, it claims. Reviews of hospitals, pharmacies, clothing, and barbershops among others were increasing quickly on Smart Consumers, providing an information pool.
When subscribers search the app which is supported by a global positioning system, related stores that are close by and the most positively reviewed will appear at the top of the list.
Associated store owners can also use the app to communicate with potential customers, to post promotional information, events and coupon offers. They can also use the reviews to assess their current status and build a new management plan.
The company also released a card called Lotte Smart Consumer Card, which provides up to 30,000 points depending on user’s monthly usage and reviews posted on the app. The firm is planning to add more benefits for the card besides the bonus points to further attract subscribers.
“The biggest asset of Smart Consumer is that it provides vivid evaluations and pictures of member stores by customers who have really been there,” said a Lotte spokesman. “We will manage the application so that subscribers can get reliable information of affiliated businesses, while the stores can get trustworthy feedback by customers.”