No lonuer' lost Neul technoloUy leads to sales

A NEW mobile service unveiled at lA.two Ace Hardware stores near St. Louis, Mo., helps shoppers find what they need-quickly and easily-and encourages repeat business.

The idea is simple: Once in the store, shoppers use their cell phones to call a toll-free number to learn the exact location of the products they need. Answers are returned by voice or text, along with coupons and other money-savings offers that can be used immediately or in the future.

"Our strategy is to enhance the helpful service we provide every day using the latest technology," said president Rick Baalmann, who oversees the Ace stores in St. Louis suburbs Des Peres and Town & Country, Mo., as well as two in nearby Highland and Centralia, I1. "It allows us to fulfill our goal of helping customers find the product they need even when we are extremely busy."

He added that data gathered on customers' buying preferences could be used to fine-tune product placement within the store. offer promotions on in-demand products, and improve customer service training for store employees.

The voice-recognition service is the brainchild of Aisle4ll, which was founded last year in St. Louis, Mo. There is no software to download and the service is free for shoppers, although standard mobile-phone charges will apply.

"We use the latest voice-recognition technology to save time for both shoppers and retailers," said Nathan Pettyjohn, Aisle4l I's chairman and c.e.o. "More than 22Vo of shoppers will give up while looking for hard-tofind items in a store. while another 56Vo wlll ask an associate for help, creating a huge demand for staff time

Baalmann, who was recently reelected chairman of the Mid America Ace Dealers Group and has served on Ace's board of directors, spent the past year working with Aisle4l l on the pilot program. He then supplied extended product descriptions and brand names, updated location codes for all products carried, and a map of the Des Peres store with location codes-which were converted to voice recognition by Aisle4l l The last step was installation of shelf tags and other store signage.

On the big day, store staffers and Aisle4 I I employees explained the technology to shoppers and answered any questions. According to Baalmann, shoppers were pleased with the new service and believed it was useful. "We believe the time-sensitive individual will use this service," he said. "It's more of a psychographic than a demographic."

The technology was launched at the Des Peres store in mid-August and was added at Town & Country a month later. The two Illinois stores will join in within 60 days.

Then what's next? Later this year, Baalmann will include an informational insert about the program in the monthly sales circular. He said that Ace Corporate has also expressed interest in the technology.

"We have learned that if something works well, many of our independent retailers will embrace the idea," he said. "We hope to bring value to the consumer and our vendor partners by matching up consumer needs and product via coupons and offers."