Simon Property Group, one of the nation s largest shopping mall operators, is developing 2 products that use the Web to bring shoppers into stores. Fast Frog made for teenagers, is a hand held bar code scanner picked up from a mall kiosk. Teens scan the items they want and then the items are listed on a personal web page, when the scanner is returned to the kiosk. Parents will then be able to print the list and make their own trip to the mall later. Your Sherpa is a similar concept, aimed at adults using a Palm organizer with a bar-code scanner attachment.
Scan now buy later.
Mallibu retailers offer their inventories on the Web, and customers come into the store to pick up merchandise. The two largest automobile manufactures in the U.S. are offering sophisticated wireless services as their latest factory options. Concierge assistance for finding everything from gas stations to fine dining while on the road. The Ford Motor Company and Qualcomm have just formed a joint venture called Wingcast to offer mobile portals starting with Ford s 2002 model year. General Motors already has over 270,000 subscribers for its OnStar service.