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21 Jan, 2012

iPad Catalog App CoffeeTable Sees Inflection Point in Shopping Behavior for 2012

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 20, 2012 — What if shoppers could skip the mall crowds, and enjoy virtual stores wherever they are? Leading iPad catalog app CoffeeTable is turning shopping on its head, aggregating catalogs from leading retailers in a digital one-stop shop.

CoffeeTable is a free iPad app that features the latest catalogs and exclusive promotions from leading retailers such as Crate and Barrel, Sears, west elm, Coldwater Creek, and many more. “Tablet shopping is fundamentally distinct from shopping the web. Catalogs let shoppers visualize products as the retailer merchandised them,” says Ben Choi, CEO of CoffeeTable. “With CoffeeTable, shoppers have only one cart to shop from all of their favorite retailers, so it’s easier and safer to purchase – especially during the busy holiday shopping season.”

CoffeeTable notes that shoppers have been coming in droves since the Christmas shopping season’s unofficial kick-off after Thanksgiving. CoffeeTable’s internal market research highlights distinct attributes of mobile shoppers this holiday season:

(+) Just because the mall is closed doesn’t mean the shopping stops: CoffeeTable cites evenings as high-traffic periods, seeing on average 10X increases in unique visitors.

(+) Christmas shopping doesn’t end on Christmas anymore: CoffeeTable welcomed more than 2X unique shoppers the week after Christmas vs. the prior week, with shoppers purchasing at levels on par with pre-holiday peak volume.

(+) iPad usage has tipped from early adopters to mainstream: The growth in tablet shopping is driven by both new iPad users flocking to shop, as well as existing customers coming back for new promotions from their favorite retailers.

CoffeeTable believes this increase in tablet shopping is here to stay. “There’s a difference between discovery and destination. E-commerce is a destination business,” Christian Friedland, Founder of CoffeeTable, notes. “Inspiration occurs while flipping through a catalog, but shoppers and retailers have struggled to convert this inspiration to a check-out destination – CoffeeTable is the only catalog app that bridges discovery into actual shopping purchases.”

Historically, mobile shopping was limited to niche status in e-commerce, due to slow-to-load webpages, security concerns with personal information, and small screens inhibiting detailed product browsing. The $270 billion retail catalog industry – the leading sales channel for most retailers, with carefully designed merchandising and visual page layout – is discovering a new medium with the tablet. With improvements in technology such as the iPad and the introduction of breakthrough interactive apps like CoffeeTable, shoppers can now enjoy a virtual mall experience wherever they are.

CoffeeTable features a marquee “showcase” of dozens of catalogs, customizable subscriptions, exclusive promotions, and the only secure in-app shopping experience with its “Express Checkout”.

For more information visit CoffeeTable on the web or download for free from the iTunes App Store. http://coffeetable.com/?cs=vocus&cid=web-0007