- NovelPass will enable any Shopify brand to customize and launch their own branded passes for the very first time
- Novel unlocks next level engagement with the launch of this industry-first feature for Shopify
- The highly sophisticated technology is made simple to use and highly engaging to bolster brand loyalty
New York, June 22, 2023 — Novel, the pioneering ecommerce business, announces the launch of NovelPass. This new product will unlock next level engagement for Shopify brands, who will be able to employ this technology to customize and launch their own branded wallet passes for the first time. From large scale businesses seeking to boost customer engagement, to boutique brands powered by highly engaged communities, the launch will be accessible to over 4 million Shopify businesses.
During the pandemic, the rate at which contactless payment technology was adopted accelerated dramatically. With the release of Google’s complementary wallet pass platform in 2022, this technology is now available across virtually every mobile device. Apple is expected to make significant investment into its wallet pass capabilities with the launch of iOS 17. However, due to implementation costs, it remains under-utilized by businesses of all sizes. With the introduction of Novel’s breakthrough technology, brands can launch a personalized mobile experience in minutes that doesn’t require their customers to download a separate app.
For brands which currently utilize direct marketing tools such as SMS or email to reach their customers on mobile devices, NovelPass will allow them to provide a new branded experience. This technology also enables push notifications to provide on demand and highly relevant updates, heightening immediacy and driving engagement with customers.
As shopping habits evolve and we see the return of shoppers to physical stores, Novel recognizes the need to provide brands and their customers with technology which embraces both the digital and physical world. This sophisticated technology built by Novel makes this combination possible, ensuring it is simple to use but highly engaging; geolocation capabilities and accompanying push notifications ensures that merchants with standalone and big box retail locations can effectively capitalize on the powerful combination of digital and physical.
Within NovelPass, customers can access information tailored to a product launch, key brand messages, upcoming events, and more. Similarly, loyalty perks will be fully integrated with merchants’ existing programs — requiring no switch up of current activations — and are further bolstered by customer ‘conversational referrals’ made possible by QR codes. This allows customers to access discounts as an incentive, rewarding customer-to-customer engagement and supporting enhanced brand awareness and loyalty, all without having to go to a separate website or platform. Using Novel with current tech stacks is easy and seamless, all of which brings both brands and their customers closer together.
“Brand loyalty today is continuously evolving, and the means by which businesses big and small can attract customers where they spend their time everyday, is of vital importance,” said Roger Beaman, co-founder and CEO of Novel. “Wallet pass technology is used by millions of people worldwide, yet so few brands have been unable to put it to work for them. We are thrilled to give millions access to technology that exists on every mobile device on the planet, making it personal to their brand and therefore their customers.”
“The customer acquisition process has changed substantially over the last few years, and as a comparably newer business to many in our space, we pride ourselves on constantly searching for innovative opportunities to diversify our channel mix and broader acquisition strategy,” said Margaret Fortner, VP of Growth at magnetic lash brand Glamnetic. “Novel’s wallet pass is so unique in the way that it takes a traditionally clunky, digital, friction-filled activity in customer referral and turns it into a seamless, single-step action. It’s perfect for products like ours where the in-person ‘Wow!’ of discovery is key. With core features built on technology and apps that we all have preinstalled on our phones, we’re even removing a step where you often lose customers in a net new app download. We’re excited to continue building this core word of mouth channel in a forward-thinking way with the Novel team!”
“As a company supported and powered by our followers, being able to reach them wherever they are and whatever they are doing, is invaluable,” said Ronak Shah, Co-founder and CEO of popular community-driven health and beauty brand Obvi. “Now we’re able to build wallet passes with Novel’s technology, encouraging them to spread the word amongst their equally health and wellbeing-conscious friends is so easy. It means that when we have a new message or promotion, we’re confident we’re making it easy for our customers to access and share.”
Since its inception in 2022, Novel has helped merchants to harness the power and potential of existing e-commerce infrastructure and payment methods. Novel’s expertise in transforming the traditional shopping experience is now leveraged within mobile technology which is embedded in everyday life.
Novel is backed by media and commerce mogul, Brian Sugar, Founder of Sugar Capital and POPSUGAR.
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About Novel
Founded in 2021 by Roger Beaman, the founder of Smartrr, Anna Merzi, founder of AlgoPay, and Brian Sugar, Group Nine Media President and Founder of Sugar Capital and POPSUGAR, Novel is an end-to-end solution which leverages existing e-commerce infrastructure and payment methods to bring the value of digital goods and their numerous applications to traditional online shopping experiences, starting in the Shopify ecosystem.