Among the myriad of problems mall-based retailers face in the era of diminished traffic to the traditional shopping box, is the issue of drawing the customers in once they are in the building.
StepsAway is is launching as a new arrow in the quiver of retailers hoping to draw-in shoppers for a brick-and-mortar transaction. The services uses Wi-Fi triangulation to beam in-store deals to shoppers as they walk the malls. Shoppers logged into a shopping area’s public wifi will be able to use the StepsAway browser based app to see time-sensitive deals as they pass (or are “steps away” from) the storefront.
Sephora, Art of Shaving, and Things Remembered have all signed on with the tech company. .
StepsAway enters the market competing with Sonic’s Notify (which mall operator Rouse Properties Inc. announced it was outfitting its 34 malls with) and mall owners who are working to develop their own in-house app that can best tap into local deals.
