As Black Friday kicks in at the end of the week, a number of brands are poised to boost their turnover by utilising the benefits of mobile geo-fencing marketing technology, writes Martin Conway.

Black Friday, which marks the official, post-Thanksgiving, start to the US Christmas shopping season, typically sees a frantic shopping spree each year, as retailers open early for a day of discounts and bargains. For this year’s trolley scramble, outdoors clothing and equipment retailer The North Face, and boutique fashion outlet White House Black Market will rely on Placecast’s ShopAlerts platform to target consumers in designated, geo-fenced areas, texting offers, coupons and discounts o potential customers.

White House Black Market intends to use ShopAlerts to send  ‘fashion alerts’ regarding particular promotions, and details of a free gift with every $100 purchase, to consumers who enter its geo-fenced zone. According to Placecast, no app download or check-in is required to receive these promotional texts.

“2010 will be the first year that geo-fencing plays a role in Black Friday,” says Placecast CEO, Alistair Goodman. “While the event is a singular phenomenon, we expect retailers to ramp up their geo-fencing all the way through the end of the year, as more consumers opt-in for such services.”