Shopkick enters 1,700+ Target stores for shopping kicks

Target shoppers can rack up rewards real quick with the new partner it has with Shopkick

Target has just become the largest retailer to offer shopkick check-ins and perks through the tech company's startup smartphone app. Starting today, Target guests across the country can use the app to check in during their shopping excursions and can earn points for a variety of future rewards.

Shopkick is free application for iPhone and Android devices that partners with various retail stores to increase loyalty perks and offer coupons. 

Now, when guests walk check into any Target they can scan products that are featured to rack up more points (or kicks, as the company calls them).

Kicks can be redeemed for Target gift cards, Facebook credits, dining gift certificates, iTunes downloads, donations to charities, and more. 

"We've learned from our guests that they appreciate being rewarded for doing what they already love to do -- shopping at Target," says Bonnie Gross, Target vice president of marketing and guest engagement, in a statement. "In our test launch, Target guests in seven cities had the opportunity to experience Shopkick at Target and we received rave reviews. Now guests nationwide can start earning valuable points just by shopping our stores."

Target is an immense feather in the Shopkick cap since it has 1,764 stores. 

Shopkick is backed by Kleiner Perkins, Greylock, SV Angel and others and is competing in a similar field to the geo apps like Foursquare, which has started pushing the loyalty extension of its check-in service.

The company also has a few other large retailers that have recently implemented its service including: American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Crate and Barrel, Macy’s, Old Navy, Simon Property Group, The Sports Authority, Toys“R”Us, West Elm, The Wet Seal, and ExxonMobil. 

With more than $110 million in revenue reported last year, it looks like Shopkick is coming into its own on the loyalty retail offerings.

Back in December, we reported that a new ad technology called Sonic Notify was being developed by New York digital ad agency Densebrain, using inaudible-to-people sound pulses that trigger ads to spring up on your phone in specific locations. 

How it works is that if you are at a department store, browsing through a shelf of scarves your phone would trigger an add related to that item. Other similar applications include the delivery of contextualized information in real time, as happened at October's CMJ music event in New York, where attendees got information about bands they were hearing, triggered by the band's music.

It looks like there are a lot more bonus rewards and irks to come as this tech evolves and more brands get involved.