Mobile phone apps are starting to become a key shopping tool — as important to some bargain-hunters as clipped or printed coupons, according to The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in Pittsburgh, Pa. For the full story, click here.
Editor’s Insight: While retailers introduce more smart phone apps, product manufacturers are also introducing smart phone apps to promote their products and incentivize consumers to buy their products. Many product manufacturers’ apps include location services to direct customers to retail outlets.
The vending industry is not yet part of this revolution since very few vending machines can accept mobile payments. The fact that mobile commerce is changing consumer behavior is another reason vending operators need to install near field communication (NFC) readers on their machines. 12-16-11 By Elliot Maras
