This is the first time the world’s largest mobile phone company has initiated a retail distribution model for its services venture. Nokia has plans to scale this up in a big way, especially in the rural areas, once the pilot phase is over in another six months.

“Since PC and broadband penetration is low in India, it is important to build a retail distribution model to take services to the masses,” said Nokia India head (OPM & devices) Jasmeet Gandhi. “This will be a platform which will have immense possibilities and the potential to transform the services business as we can tap our huge dealer network,” he said.

Nokia India is also soon coming with a local billing model for its mobile applications store, Ovi Store. At present, there are around 50,000 applications in the store. “We will also make available the applications store in our services retail point so that consumers can conveniently buy mobile applications there,” said Mr Gandhi.

The retail distribution from Nokia comes at a time when the company has already made a few of its services free in India. It has already made navigation service free and has recently announced free unlimited download of music with select handsets. Nokia feels such a strategy will be vital as more than 80% of Indian consumers already access or download free digital content.

“While free music is currently available in five handsets, we plan to take this to handsets across price bands or at least the top 15 models. This even includes the mass market range which runs on the S40 operating system,” said Mr Gandhi.

Even though its early days for Nokia in the mobile services space, India has already emerged as one of the top markets. India ranks amongst the top three market for music downloads with around one million registered users, next to UK and Italy.

In terms of total downloads from the Ovi Store, India ranks amongst the top three markets and in navigation services, it figures amongst the top ten countries. For push email service, Nokia is clocking more than one lakh activation per month in India, making it amongst the top five markets globally.

Here are some of the latest, and best, registry mobile apps:

Target 

Target was an early adopter in terms of mobile commerce. Target’s apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Android allow customers to go beyond bar code scanning to gift registries, although that feature is included.

The app also allows users to view weekly ads, check out featured products, shop online, and create lists. Lists can of course be registries, but also shopping lists, wish lists, or decorating ideas. The bar code scanner allows you to add any item in-store to any list.

The app is simple, well designed, and in line with the Target branding. It’s also free. The iPhone version has over 1,000 reviews with an average 4.5 out of 5 stars. Download here for iOS, or here for Android.

Crate and Barrel

Crate and Barrel, the international home furnishings, décor, and accessories retailer, has added a wedding and gift registry app for the iPhone. A simple and attractive interface gives users the option of creating and editing gift registries within the app. An app user can browse items for sale, get registry ideas from the online store, or visit a retail location and scan product bar codes to add items directly to the registry.

The app also allows users to search products using voice commands and view registry purchases in real time.

User reviews indicated that there was a bug in the login process; however, Crate and Barrel updated the app to version 1.0.1 in June with the intent of addressing login errors. The mobile app itself is free to download, get it here for iOS.

Macy’s

Macy’s has also introduced a mobile commerce app for iPhone and Android. Like the Target app, users have access to special offers and the entire Macy’s online assortment. There is a bar code scanning feature that allows users to add items to a Macy’s registry. The mobile app also gives account holders access to their accounts and the ability to pay bills from within the app.

Both versions are free and received above average reviews, however multiple reviewers mentioned the app runs a little slow. Click here to download the iOS version or here for Android.

Universal Registry Apps

The following mobile apps are universal registries, allowing users to scan barcodes from any store and add them to an online registry, expanding gift opportunities far beyond one or two stores.

Wedding Registry

Wedding Registry is a $0.99 cloud-based registry app for the iPhone and Android. From its bar code scanner, any item from any store is added to a users registry and automatically categorized into groups such as cookware, cutlery, bedding and bath.

Registries can easily be shared by using a group ID, and users can add comments to items to indicate color or size preferences, for example.  The mobile app automatically synchs with the online registry, making it easy to keep up with gifted items. The interface is clean and even customizable. Download here for iOS or here for Android.

Wedding Scan

Wedding Scan is an iPhone app that allows users to add any item from any store to a wedding registry using a bar code scanner. This app uses geolocation to show family and friends where each item was scanned, and has the ability to integrate with social media and email. Wedding Scan is working to send push notification to a users phone when a registry item has been purchased.

The list of apps for universal registries continues to grow, as do the apps for big name retailers like Target, Macy’s and Crate and Barrel. Cheers to a more manageable wedding season. Download the mobile app for iOS here.