Retail chain Macy’s Inc. is launching ads on Apple Inc.’s new iTunes Radio streaming music service, which is accessible on the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple TV and PCs. Called iAds, they will begin appearing between songs as audio tracks or video clips, according to Apple. Macy’s also plans to promote its mobile app on iTunes Radio this fall.

“We are really excited about the unique opportunities available with iAd on iTunes Radio, because it allows us to customize an experience across multiple screens with digital, video and audio content,” says Martine Reardon, Macy’s chief marketing officer. “IAd on iTunes radio will help us deliver fashion, value and entertainment to our customers on the devices they use at home and on the go.”

The retailer is targeting the content of its ads to appeal to female shoppers between the ages of 25 to 54 and Millennials, who are consumers between the ages of 13 to 30, also known as “Generation Y.”

Macy’s is one of the first iAd advertisers. Last summer, the retailer was among the first retailers to debut mobile ads on the Spotify streaming music service.

The mobile app Macy’s will promote on iTunes is available for Android and iPhone devices. The app lets customers:

• Shop the online product catalog;

• Locate stores;

• Browse gift registries;

• Access exclusive offers, including in-store offers;

• Update account information and pay Macy’s credit card bills;

• Scan bar codes and QR codes to read customer ratings and reviews, watch product videos and learn more about products.

“The app is an important asset for omnichannel shopping and can serve as a mobile hub for our customers, connecting them to nearby stores or to shop directly at our online store,” a Macy’s spokeswoman says. “For example, a customer may come into a store to touch and feel the product, maybe even try it on for size, and then purchase it using the app for home delivery or search for the item in a different color or size.”

Since the app launched in 2009, it has been downloaded slightly more than 2 million times, she says. “Our shoppers continue to increasingly engage with us via the app, whether in-store or on the go, and we are working hard to provide increased functionality and expose the app to more consumers,” she says.

Macy’s is also in the midst of its first TV advertising campaign focused on its omnichannel capabilities, the spokeswoman says. The first ads to air this week focus on My Macy’s localized product assortments, wherein stores stock different product based on regional customer preferences, and Macy’s “search and send” program, in which the retailer finds products from other stores or online and orders them for a customer when what she wants is out of stock. Next week the retailer will air an ad focused on the mobile app, the spokeswoman says.

Macy’s is No. 12 in the 2013 Top 500 Guide.

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