Techno-Retailing
Retailers, taking notice of the massive uptick in mobile devices and internet sales, are embracing a new wave of computer software and systems to improve in-store foot traffic, sales, and other aspects of the consumer shopping experience.

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. announced a new smartphone app for Apple's iPhone and Android smart phones to help customers find their closest Winn-Dixie, allow them to view the weekly circular and sales for that specific store, and create and manage shopping lists that both sync with computers and can be shared with other users. The app is available as a free download through Apple Inc.'s iTunes, the Android Market, or on Winn-Dixie's website.

Customer Feedback Management Company Mindshare Technologies added a new feature -- Mindshare Coach™ -- to its software that analyzes retail customer feedback and key drivers, identifies customer service problems, and then sends an alert to the local store manager suggesting ways to fix those problems.

Extended service plan and product care provider N.E.W. Customer Service Companies Inc. announced two new technologies to help retailers increase service plan sales and build positive customer relationships. NEW's SMS/Text Initiative uses in-store sign displays to provide information through mobile devices if the customer enters the displayed keyword and texts it to a specific five-digit code. NEW's Path to Purchase Quick Response Code uses a 2-D barcode reader on a mobile device to record codes displayed on targeted in-store displays and then provide customers with service plan details. This is an adjunct to the company's 'spider' point-of-sales system that scans the retailer's database to recognize products that qualify for product protection under a service plan. The company claims to be able to identify up to 790% more SKUs that qualify for service plans and ultimately increase sales.

Century 21 Department Stores signed a deal with software provider Escalate Retail to deploy Enterprise1 Enterprise Resource Planning software for management of the retailer's merchandising, inventory, and financials across Century 21's stores, websites, mobile devices, and with contact centers. Escalate will also develop customized features, including vendor style number matching and time in motion improvement, for faster turns, higher margins, and increased sales.

Discount retailer Fred's Inc. selected KSS Retail's PriceStrat software to optimize regular and promotional pricing to gain a comprehensive understanding of our customers' shopping needs and behaviors and allow the retailer to make better decisions on how to price products.

OfficeMax Inc. launched an enhanced 2.0 version of its free OfficeMax iPhone App on the App Store and is making the App available on Google's Android platform. The 2.0 version, created by software company created by Rosetta, offers users the ability to view OfficeMax's weekly ad and special offers on their mobile device, a GPS-enabled store locator function, and local store hours and phone numbers.

The transition into more portable and complete technological shopping solutions shows no sign of abating. An ABI Research survey of 2000 US consumers in August, 2010 found that while desktop computers are the most common type of computer in consumers' homes, consumers are more than twice as likely (35%) to buy laptops, netbooks, or media tablets than desktops in the next six months. That's even more likely to put pressure on retailers to provide an ever increasing array of technological customer service features if they want to attract foot and online traffic.

About Mindshare Technologies
Mindshare drives operational improvement. Using Mindshare, companies improve operational excellence, foster consumer satisfaction, build customer loyalty, and support employee retention. Our industry experts guide clients in building comprehensive enterprise feedback management (EFM) solutions. Mindshare's proprietary survey technology captures the voice of the customer in real-time and immediately transforms it into actionable intelligence through powerful and incisive reporting. Mindshare serves more than 25 different industries including travel, hospitality, restaurant, financial, salon, automotive, and retail. For information, visit www.mshare.net.