-- Take advantage of discounts and coupons -- use your mobile phone.
Discounts and coupons are the talk of the Holiday season this year. Wal-
Mart, Toys R Us, Circuit City, KB Toys and other major retailers are
offering sales and discount coupons earlier than previous years, in an
effort to get shoppers in the door early. While at the mall, consumers can
use their mobile phone to find last-minute gifts, view coupons and sale
promotions, and even receive mobile-only offers. You can text to the
shortcode NEARBY (632729) to find malls near you that have mobile search,
and receive simple instructions on how to search hundreds of sale items in
the mall by typing such categories as "toys," "sneakers," or any other item
they might be searching for. Each shopping center will display signage
outlining the appropriate mobile mall code and instructions throughout the
mall.
-- Check inventory before you go to the mall. Retailers are more nervous
than ever this year, and that means they typically will reduce inventory
levels at their stores. Unfortunately this presents the possibility you
will brave the masses only to find the item you want isn't available. It's
best to ensure inventory is available before you make that trip to the
store. Over 200 malls across the U.S. are now using a service called
NearbyNow that allows consumers to go to the mall Web site to check
inventory for any product at any store in 10 minutes or less, and even have
items put on hold.
-- Plan your mall visit online. Much of the hustle and bustle at shopping
malls can be avoided with a few simple pre-shopping tips. First, plan your
visit. Create a shopping list, reserve items if you can, use online maps to
plan your visit, and take advantage of free valet parking. Second, head to
the mall early and try to avoid going the day before Christmas. NearbyNow
has created a new approach to holiday shopping this season by combining the
convenient use of the Internet with the vibrancy of in-store shopping. By
shopping online before heading out the door, consumers have the ability to
search inventory of over 800,000 products at their local mall just by going
to the mall's Web site.
-- Who's wasting time standing in line this Holiday season? Not you --
if you are using NearbyNow's exclusive "Check Availability" feature on the
Web sites of more than 200 malls throughout the U.S. and surely there's a
mall near you. Once the desired gift is found, shoppers can take advantage
of the newly enhanced NearbyNow-powered service and "check availability,"
with the bonus option to 'reserve this product' -- putting the item on hold
at your local mall. NearbyNow will confirm the product's availability,
usually within ten minutes, and notify shoppers when it will be available
for in-store pickup.
-- Buy a shopping spree online. Do your friends and family like to shop?
Then get them a gift card for their favorite shopping mall, and allow them
to take advantage of post-holiday sales at any store in the mall. Most
malls have gift cards that can be purchased from their Web sites (just look
for the "gift card" link) and with NearbyNow's search service, you can even
narrow in on a specific retailer from whom you'd like to buy a gift card by
simply entering 'gift card' on the Web site's product search service.
Chances are -- come this Holiday season, a great many folks will never have
left home to do their shopping.
At a mall near you
NearbyNow has partnered with renowned shopping mall operators such as The
Westfield Group, CBL & Associates Properties, and General Growth Properties
to deliver their experience to malls in over 130 cities. Shoppers can log
on to their local mall's Web site or http://www.nearbynow.com to find the
nearest participating mall, or simply text to NEARBY (632729) from their
mobile phones.
About NearbyNow, Inc.
NearbyNow, Inc. provides a unique online service that allows consumers to
search inventory of all products, brands, and sales currently available at
local shopping centers using the Internet or mobile phones. Working with
shopping centers and retailers across the United States, NearbyNow enables
consumers to easily access local information both before and during their
shopping trips. The company also creates an efficient marketing tool for
retailers to target nearby consumers, helping to drive sales by turning
online shoppers into in-store buyers. NearbyNow is headquartered in Los
Altos, Calif. Additional information can be obtained by phone at (650)
947-1300 or via the Web at www.nearbynow.com.
Contact Information: MEDIA CONTACTS: Corporate: Beth Trier Trier and Company for NearbyNow 415.285.6147 beth@triercompany.com Consumer: Samantha Curley Trier and Company for NearbyNow 415.399.1002 sam@triercompany.com Local Malls: Pamela Herman Trier and Company for NearbyNow 415.422.0024 pamela@triercompany.com