How Mobile Phones are Changing Shopping - is your store keeping up?

There is great article by Natalie Zmuda in Advertising Age that talks about how how Smart Phones are changing retail.

The article explains how mobile phones are fast becoming the way consumers find coupons, research products, compare prices and make purchases. Below are some of the apps to watch according to the article. Most of these look like they are US based only... but I'm sure it is only a matter of time for similar products will be here in Canada. If you are in any type of retail and are not thinking about mobile devices - you should be. They are coming, they are here, and it will change the way business is done.


SHOPSAVVY
With this app, users can comparison shop by scanning a product's bar code with a camera phone. ShopSavvy finds the lowest prices online and at nearby brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as coupons, and lets users make transactions.


YOWZA
Using GPS to determine shoppers' locations, Yowza delivers coupons to nearby stores.


RETREVOQ
More of a mobile advisor than an application, RetrevoQ uses texts and tweets to dispense info. Shoppers can text 41411 or tweet @retrevoq including the make and model of the electronics product they're considering, and RetrevoQ will respond with advice on whether it's a good buy, a fair price, the price range available online for that product and a link to reviews at Retrevo.com, a consumer-electronics shopping and review site.


FASTMALL
This iPhone and iPod Touch app provides interactive maps of malls, highlighting elevators and the quickest route to stores, as well as helping shoppers find food vendors and remember where their cars are parked. A shake of the phone turns up the nearest restroom location. Shoppers can also make lists and access coupons.


THEFIND: WHERE TO SHOP
Shoppers can find which stores carry the products they're looking for and where those stores are located, as well as compare prices with nearby retailers and online retailers. The app will even calculate the driving cost to each store.


GROCERYIQ
Coupons.com acquired the popular grocery app in January 2009 and released version 2.0 in December. The iPhone and iPod Touch app allows consumers to create grocery lists, organize them, access coupons and share lists with others. Shoppers can also take photos of bar codes to add items to their lists and create lists of frequently or previously purchased items.



Read the entire article here.