“Catch a Pokémon at the cash desk”. How to transform the latest app sensation into a purchasing incentive

In Los Angeles, in the boutiques of Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci, the sales assistants have noted that there are Pokémons virtually everywhere, including at the cash desk. Indeed, “Pokémon Go” is the most downloaded app from iTunes in the last two weeks, with droves of teenagers (and millennials) roaming around the streets, the grassy areas in Central Park and the malls, in search of the coveted Japanese creatures. Jordan Edelson, CEO of Appetizer Mobile, a consultancy firm in the IT sector, loses no time in predicting “We are expecting a higher customer flow in the stores on the part of tech-savvy customers. In the future, business owners will be able to purchase spaces on Pokémon Go to make their stores PokeStops. But this will only benefit them if they manage to customise their interaction with occasional visitors” sums up Loretta Brady, professor of psychology at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.