In an effort to make sure its Halloween sales aren’t scary, party supply retailer Oriental Trading Company has launched an app for Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet in advance of the holiday.

The app enables shoppers to buy from the retailer’s more than 40,000 products, while also offering Halloween-specific features such as a flipbook of popular Halloween costumes and zoom features that enable shoppers to see various costumes’ details. For those looking to deck out their home, the app features a virtual light switch that enables consumers to see how the glow-in-the-dark decorations will look when the lights are off. 

The app, which was built by m-commerce technology vendor Revel Touch,also offers videos with tips on decorating the home for Halloween.

“As a multichannel retailer who understands direct-to-consumer, the tablet offers us an incredible opportunity to bring together inspiration and our products in a way that delights our customers and drives our business,” says Sam Taylor, CEO of Oriental Trading Company, No. 77 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

The app leverages the tablet’s unique features and capabilities, he says. For example, consumers can swipe photos to see the next image or tap to zoom in on pictures for further detail. App users can also share any product or page via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and e-mail.

The app also ties in with the retailer web inventory and e-commerce product feeds so the selection of products and availability is in line with its retail site. 

Oriental Trading Company also offers a mobile site built by m-commerce technology vendor Usablenet. It does not have a smartphone app but plans to build one in the future.

Vendor Revel Touch has worked on mobile shopping projects for Lucky magazine and apparel retailer Tea Collection.

Favorite