Shopkick
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mobile application, Retail technology |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Cyriac Roeding, Jeff Sellinger, Aaron Emigh |
| Headquarters | Denver , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Cyriac Roeding (Founder and CEO) |
| Products | Mobile shopping rewards app |
| Owner | Trax |
| Parent | Trax |
Shopkick is a U.S.-based enterprise headquartered in Denver that created a mobile application for smartphones and tablets, which rewards users for various activities such as entering retail locations, scanning products, completing purchases, and uploading receipts. Participants accumulate "kicks," a form of points that can be exchanged for digital gift cards. The app is available on both iOS and Android platforms.
History
Established in 2009 by Cyriac Roeding, Jeff Sellinger, and Aaron Emigh, Shopkick raised upwards of $20 million in venture capital from prominent investors like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Reid Hoffman, and Greylock Partners prior to its purchase by SK Planet. The concept of incentivizing store visits was developed by CEO Cyriac Roeding during his tenure as EVP of CBS’s mobile division and while affiliated with Kleiner Perkins.
The initial release of the Shopkick app occurred in August 2010, partnering with five major retailers nationwide: Macy's, Best Buy, Sports Authority, American Eagle Outfitters, and the Simon Property Group. In October 2014, SK Planet—a subsidiary of Korea’s leading telecommunications company SK Telecom, part of the Fortune 100 SK Group—acquired Shopkick. Early 2016 marked Shopkick’s acquisition of the technology and personnel from Theneeds to broaden its service capabilities.
In April 2017, Shopkick launched Shopkick Grocery, a feature designed to increase rewards on grocery purchases through branded video content, tools for creating shopping lists, and receipt-based "kicks." By August 2017, the company expanded into mobile online shopping by collaborating with partners like eBay, Groupon, Apple, Boxed, and Jet.com, enabling users to earn rewards for both browsing and buying products online. Marie Langhout-Franklin, eBay’s head of partner marketing, emphasized this as an opportunity to reach a fresh customer segment.
In July 2019, Shopkick was acquired by the Israeli firm Trax for $200 million.
Products
Users can redeem their kicks for various rewards including gift cards from retailers such as Target, Walmart, and Starbucks, or opt to donate them to charitable organizations like Feeding America and the American Red Cross. Reward values generally begin at $2 for brands including TJ Maxx and American Eagle Outfitters. Additionally, Shopkick compiles deals, promotions, and coupons from local merchants and retailers. Partner stores encompass names like Best Buy, American Eagle Outfitters, Torrid, Marshalls, Yankee Candle, and TJ Maxx. Leading consumer goods companies such as P&G, Unilever, Mondelez, and L’Oreal have also provided product-related kicks.
Shopkick’s business model is performance-based, generating income only when users complete partner-specified actions like viewing in-app content, scanning products, or making purchases.
By April 2017, Shopkick had facilitated more than 200 million store visits, over 270 million product scans within store aisles, and contributed upwards of $2.5 billion in sales for its brand and retail collaborators.
Technology
Instead of relying exclusively on GPS triangulation, Shopkick employs an inaudible audio signal unique to each retail location that smartphones detect when the app is active. This signal is transmitted via compact devices installed inside stores and enables awarding "kicks" for activities such as entering shops, trying on apparel, or scanning barcodes.
Furthermore, the company developed shopBeacon—a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) presence system compatible with Apple’s iBeacon technology—that integrates audio signals with BLE to improve user engagement within physical stores.
Awards and honors
- Recognized as a Tech Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2013
- Featured among the Top 10 Applications of 2010 by The Wall Street Journal
- Listed as one of the World’s 10 Most Innovative Retail Companies by Fast Company
- Included in Mashable’s Top 10 Apps to Watch in 2011