NEW YORK -- Location-based mobile "geo-social" platform Foursquare said that it has recently exceeded 10 million users. It also broke down by category which brands were the top three "check-ins" on the mobile application. Chains 7-Eleven, Circle K and Wawa lead the convenience category for "Where People Go (Most Popular Chains Across the U.S.)," the company said.
"We always try to find something that's either unusual or really unique, and we are doing more and more online and digital components," 7-Eleven spokesperson Margaret Chabris told The Dallas Business Journal in a separate report.
Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. is using Foursquare as a component of its promotion this summer for the film Super 8. To enter the sweepstakes, customers check in on Foursquare using their smart phone while at a 7-Eleven store. Prizes are awarded based on the number of check-ins and are selected every time check-ins hit certain thresholds tied to the number "8." Customers can check in via Foursquare as often as once every three hours at any single 7-Eleven store and can check in at as many different stores as they like each day.
(Click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage.)
Old Navy, H&M and Victoria's Secret lead the apparel category; Target, Walmart and Macy's led the retail category; Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo led the bank category; and Home Depot, IKEA and Lowe's led the home category.
Those brands and many others have begun marketing on the platform in the last 18 months, said a report by ClickZ. They hope to drive traffic into the store and typically offer discounts or free merchandise for check-ins, rewarding "mayors" of their locations for consistent patronage.
Foursquare said more than 400,000 businesses are using its Merchant Platform.
Emphasizing how the geo-social platform has become more mainstream, Foursquare also noted that there have been 4.7 million check-ins for businesses located on Main Streets in U.S. cities. The company's blog also suggested that the app was gaining traction in Japan and Germany.
Two-year-old Foursquare's ascent to 10 million users has been "impressive," said ClickZ--only 15 months ago, it had 500,000 users.
The company posted graphics illustrating its growth on its blog (click here to view).
Foursquare, headquartered in New York City, is a location-based mobile platform that makes cities easier to use and more interesting to explore. By checking in via a smartphone app or short message service (SMS), users share their location with friends while collecting points and virtual badges. Foursquare guides real-world experiences by allowing users to bookmark information about venues that they want to visit and surfacing relevant suggestions about nearby venues. Merchants and brands leverage the foursquare platform by using a set of tools to obtain, engage and retain customers and audiences.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.