Segmuller Puts Mobile Payments Power in German Furniture Shopping
If you’ve never heard of Segmuller, then chances are, you don’t live in Germany. Segmuller is a very big deal in Germany, as one of the country’s leaders in furniture shopping. Yet despite its lead in the market, it was still missing one very key feature: mobile payments. That’s a point Segmuller recently changed with its new connection to Wirecard.
The Wirecard connection allows Segmuller customers the option to immediately pay invoices with mobile devices, or through a credit card without the device, and do so when delivery is received. Since Wirecard not only provides the interface needed to carry out the payments—a mobile point of sale (mPOS) system along with an app—but also the processing of same, it’s a one-stop shop for Segmuller and a much more efficient way to go about things as well. Segmuller reportedly made the jump to mobile after realizing that its customer experience needed to be as high-quality as the furniture it sold.
Wirecard executive vice president for sales of consumer goods Christian Reindl noted “We are pleased to be able to support Segmuller in digitizing their payment processes and thus increasing customer satisfaction. With the development of our payment app, we have actively responded to the trend that consumers want an increasingly seamless payment experience – the mobile payment solution is optimally tailored to the delivery model.”
It’s no secret that customers want mobile payment options when it comes to shopping almost anywhere. We’ve seen mobile payments step in on the most durable of durable goods all the way down to the most disposable of consumer goods. The option to pay for things with a mobile device is a welcome one, especially when it’s incorporated into a loyalty rewards program that keeps track of its own points totals. That doesn’t seem to be on the table for Segmuller, but then, larger purchases can’t exactly be tracked that way so readily.
Segmuller here has likely set itself up for a positive outcome, offering its customers a welcome new feature and a reason to come back. This edge won’t likely be an edge for long, though, as mobile payments increasingly become table stakes rather than a unique selling point.