Following the launch of its mobile commerce web site last November, Costco Wholesale Corp. has just rolled out a new mobile app available for both Apple and Android users.  With it consumers—who may or may not be Costco members—can shop the retailer’s online site from a mobile device, as well as:

* Refill pharmacy prescriptions.

* Upload mobile photos for printing in the Costco photo center.

 

 

 

* Renew or sign up for Costco membership.

* Create shopping lists to use in-store.

* Locate nearby warehouses.

* Read articles from the magazine Costco Connection.

* Access business delivery services.

* Browse both warehouse and online-only offers.

On the app’s home screen, each of those functions is represented by name and icon in a grid of boxes that users can slide through to make a selection. In a bar at the top, the app also has a search button that allows customers to either type or speak into their mobile device to look for products or information from Costco.com. 

Costco turned to mobile development company Branding Brand, which also created its U.S. and Canadian mobile sites, to build the new app. It is available in the Apple Inc. App Store and in the Google Play market that offers Android apps.

“These apps increase convenience by providing a bridge between online and offline worlds,” says Branding Brand co-founder and CEO Chris Mason. “Although tasks like refilling prescriptions, printing photos and creating shopping lists can now begin on mobile, they still end in in-store.”

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