Newsbyte: New Retail Mobile Apps from SAP Transform the In-Store Shopping Experience

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) today announced the launch of SAP® Shopper Experience a personalized and engaging retail mobile app that transforms the entire consumer shopping experience with social media sharing, loyalty programs and a self-payment system for shoppers. SAP also released the latest version of the SAP® Retail Store Ops Associate mobile app, which allows store associates to execute core merchandising, inventory and customer service functions directly from the shop floor without leaving a consumer's side. The announcement was made at the NRF 103rd Annual Convention and EXPO, being held January 12-15 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City.

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Consumers are increasingly reaching for their mobile devices to research products, compare prices and get recommendations; this behavior has significantly impacted the retail industry. According to Retail Systems Research*, 80 percent of retailers believe their store results will continue to erode unless they incorporate technology as part of the store experience. To help prevent the showrooming trend, retailers identified the top two opportunities: 60 percent cited focusing on a more convenient customer experience and 48 percent cited bringing more digital and online experiences to store.

With SAP Shopper Experience, retailers can offer consumers the ability to create collaborative shopping lists, redeem unique offers specific to a particular store and manage loyalty accounts. For consumers, the app enables shoppers to self-scan merchandise and pay, as well as share offers with friends on Facebook — all from their mobile device while shopping in the store. The app is customizable to a retailer's unique brand identity. After linking a loyalty account, consumers are immediately recognized and can review points, status levels and upcoming rewards. They can plan and easily collaborate with family members on shopping lists and locate the nearest store. Once they check into the store, shoppers receive personalized, local offers that they can share with friends. While shopping, consumers can scan items to research product details and add items to their mobile shopping cart. Consumers can also instantly transfer their cart to the point of sale (POS) and avoid the check-out line by paying directly from their mobile device.

In addition to a higher level of consumer engagement and higher conversion rates from integrated mobile offers, retailers benefit by providing self-service features that help reduce stores' operational costs. SAP Shopper Experience is available on Android and iOS devices.

To further enhance the in-store experience, SAP also released the latest version of SAP Retail Ops Associate. New updates include the ability to order products, perform in-store markdowns, make inventory corrections and transfers, post receiving from vendors and distribution centers and provide access to product history and information. Store associates can manage consumer requests with a few swipes, helping to boost sales, enhance consumer loyalty and optimize inventory accuracy and replenishment. SAP Retail Ops Associate is currently available on iOS devices.

"Now more than ever it's essential for us to provide our customers with the best in-store experience," said Peter Bucher, head of IT for Retail Stores for Migros, Switzerland's largest retailer. "To do so, we've armed some of our employees with SAP Retail Store Ops Associate, an intuitive, easy-to-use app that lets them access vital and up-to-date product, availability and pricing information instantaneously from the store floor."For more information, including additional news from NRF, visit the SAP Newsroom. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

Media Contacts:
Amisha Gandhi, +1 (415) 341-7101, [email protected], PST
Janice Edman, +1 (650) 223-4817, [email protected], EST

*Retail Systems Research, Relevant Store in the Digital Age Benchmark Report, May 2013

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SOURCE SAP AG