RetailTechNews rounds up some of the biggest stories in the European retail technology space. In this week’s edition: TabMo & adsquare Launch ‘Branding to Store’ Ad Format; Yandex.Checkout to Provide Online Stores with Instalment Payments; and Shop Direct & Pindrop Partner for Voice Security.

TabMo & adsquare Launch ‘Branding to Store’ Ad Format

TabMo has today launched its ‘Branding To Store’ mobile advertising solution that combines, for the first time, the automated creation of a drive-to-store ad format with the ability to measure the real-time uplift in footfall traffic resulting from the campaign.

The unique feature has been built to meet the needs of TabMo’s retail brand clients and the agencies representing some of these brands. It is available on TabMo’s self-service creative mobile demand side platform (DSP), Hawk, in partnership with mobile data exchange adsquare.

‘Branding To Store’ is the only product of its kind that simplifies the creative process by enabling advertisers to build their ad directly within the advertising platform. Adsquare data and analysis separates organic store visits from those generated directly by the mobile ad, giving retailers a true figure for their return on advertising investment.

The new offering provides the consumer with a new mobile shopping experience. Once they have engaged with a brand message, the rich media ad format offers features such as a GPS map showing the best route from their current location to their nearest store.

‘Branding To Store’ is a powerful tool for retailers wanting to drive customers to their outlets and FMCG brands that need to attract consumers to stores that stock their products. Combining both branding with ROI measurement, it is the first end-to-end solution that enables the creative ad build, location settings, real-time tracking, and post-campaign reporting to all be undertaken on one platform.

Yandex.Checkout to Provide Online Stores with Instalment Payments

Yandex.Checkout, an online payment technology, has launched a new feature allowing online stores and services to provide their customers with an option of paying for purchases in instalments.

According to data provided by GfK RUS and Yandex.Market in 2016, 64% of customers tend to make spontaneous purchases. "It is often hard to decide on buying something expensive and spending a considerable part of the budget on it. Pay in Parts is useful when a person does want to make an unplanned, spontaneous purchase, for example, during a sales period, but is unable to spend the required amount of money. The desired product or service can be purchased immediately after the customer submits the form. The first instalment will be debited in 30 days. It is a very convenient system, so there is a high chance the user will return to the store to make a new purchase", says Yulia Gorelova, head of payment business at Yandex.Money.

Once the store activates the feature, a small information block advising the customer on terms and conditions of instalment plans will appear next to each item, so the customer will be able to choose the payment period and see the amount of each monthly instalment.

The customer confirms the purchase by entering a security code from a text message. After that, the payments will be debited automatically from the Yandex.Money Wallet on a fixed day every month. Funds can be transferred from another e-wallet, from bank cards, via online banking, or added in cash via ATM. If the user does not have the Yandex.Money Wallet, one will be opened for them when they sign up for the instalment plan. The user can access the information about previous payments in the dashboard, as well as check the amount left to be paid or even make an advance payment.

Shop Direct & Pindrop Partner for Voice Security

Shop direct will become the first European retailer to adopt Pindrop’s voice security and authentication, in a move it hopes will better protect its customers.

At its peak, Shop Direct was issuing out 25 million catalogues in a year. In 2015, catalogue production ended and it became a pureplay online retailer with a mobile-first strategy.

Pindrop’s technology will empower Shop Direct’s contact centre colleagues to further lessen the time it takes for authentication to help the company deliver an even more efficient customer experience.

Pindrop’s patented technology creates an ‘audio fingerprint’ of each call by analysing over 1,380 unique call features, such as voice, location, background noise, number history, and call type. It highlights unusual activity, identifies potential fraud and deters fraudulent callers. It cracks down on fraudulent tactics like caller ID spoofing, voice distortion, and social engineering with no need for customers to provide any additional information.This content was originally published in RetailTechNews.