US commerce software developers Starmount have turned m-commerce on its head and have introduced an in-store mobile selling assistant, Engage, that works on iPhones and iPads and is intended for use by shop staff rather than customers.
“With the advent of the smartphone as a personal shopping device, retailers are now faced with customers that are, in many cases, better equipped and more knowledgeable than their store associates,” said Jerry Rightmer, president and chief technology officer for Starmount. “Engage gives retailers the ability to extend the power of their web and enterprise store systems to a mobile platform, helping store associates have meaningful and personalised interactions for greater customer service and more effective selling.”
Key features and related capabilities of Engage include:
- Secure transactions with the functionality of a point-of-sale (POS) system
- Simplified customer data collection
- Tender with credit or gift cards
- Paperless e-receipt delivery or printer connectivity
- Flexible selling capabilities (item and transaction discounts, price override, tax override, etc.)
- Lightweight application running native on the Apple iPod touch, iPhone, iPad or other smart devices
“Shoppers’ worlds have changed from solitary and disconnected to personal and mobile,” Rightmer added. “Engage extends beyond transactions to help retailers deliver a more connected, more relevant store experience to their customers.”
The Engage software has been trialled with US retailers Urban Outfitters, and is available now. For more information, see www.starmountsystems.com, or read the blog at www.blog.starmountsystems.com, and follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/starmountsystem.