Sprint Launches Mobile Shopping Service (USA)

In a mobile phone variation of the “shop ’til you drop” phenomenon, Sprint Nextel has launched a free shopping service for its subscribers.
Announced Thursday, the Mobile Shopper service enables subscribers to purchase products from more than 30 retailers including Target and Wal-Mart. The service, powered by mShopper, is the company’s first mobile shopping service to be offered in the U.S., Sprint said.

Sprint said the service is offered free-of-charge, although subscribers will be charged for Internet access. Mobile Shopper will enable users to instantly compare online prices with in-store prices, enabling them to find the lowest prices for products. Mobile Shopper accounts can be established directly on mobile phones or on subscribers’ PC. A secure PIN protects shipping addresses and credit card information.

Sprint’s demo of mShopper notes that the browser interface allows the shopper to send the information to a friend’s phone, e-mail the information for future reference, talk to a live sales agent, or purchase the item. The shopper must have a Web-enabled phone for the service to work.

“With Mobile Shopper, Sprint customers get a powerful shopping tool that they can use on-the-go to buy products or compare online prices to in-store merchandise,” said George Ranallo, Sprint’s director of consumer data applications, in a statement.

Sprint cited a report by Alan Goode, a Juniper Research senior analyst, who has estimated that North American mobile phone purchasers will spend $505 million in 2008 with the number expected to swell to $1.9 billion by 2010.

Wireless Mobile Telecom Wireless News