Magazines offer instant gratification for shoppers

WASHINGTON – If seeing a dress in a fashion magazine elicits the thought “I have to have that,” MasterCard, the designer and magazine want you to be able to spend your money instantly.

MasterCard is announcing a partnership with Conde Nast, which publishes Vogue, Wired and Vanity Fair that will let digital readers instantly buy items they read about in an article, or see in an advertisement, according to the New York Times.

The shopper simply taps on a shopping cart icon on the digital page to purchase the item.

The partnership, called ShopThis, will debut in the November tablet issue of Wired, due Oct. 15, according to the Times.

Other companies are focusing on making shopping easier, too.

Online grocer Peapod has a feature on its mobile app that lets a consumer restock household items by scanning a bar code with a smartphone at home.

When a box of cereal is almost empty, the customer swipes the code, the item automatically goes to the shoppers virtual shopping basket, for the next time an order is placed.

A company called Paydiant, has created technology to scan a QR, or quick response, code from a television show or commercial, to let someone instantly buy what they like on TV.

The Pounce mobile app, enables a shopper to purchase an item seen in printed catalogues and fliers.

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