LOS ALTOS, Calif., Feb. 21, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- NearbyNow, Inc., an online service that allows consumers to search all products and sales available at local shopping centers using the Internet or mobile phones, today released consumer behavior data from thousands of users of NearbyNow's proximity search service during the past Holiday season. NearbyNow is the first company to deliver a Web-based service for shopping centers and retailers using Internet and mobile search technology to drive in-store foot traffic.
"The search data which NearbyNow is able to aggregate reveals how retail customers go online to research purchases they are looking to make in local stores. This information indicates substantial opportunities for retailers to use the Web to target local shoppers searching specifically for items they offer," said Paul Howe, Founder & VP, Product Management of NearbyNow.
"Touch & Feel" Still Important
NearbyNow's data shows that shoppers using the Web to research local purchases tend to focus on products where "touch and feel" are important. For Holiday 2006 the most popular categories and search terms included:
-- Shoes
* "boots", "uggs", "steve madden", "nike shoes"
-- Clothing
* "skinny jeans", "shirts", "jackets", "hoodies"
-- Jewelry
* "rings", "necklace", "diamond jewelry", "lockets"
"NearbyNow's model caters to real world shopping behavior," said Greg Sterling, principal of Sterling Market Intelligence. "And the data NearbyNow is collecting is extremely valuable, helping retailers become much smarter about reaching a growing population of shoppers who research online but buy locally."
Local Search Usage Patterns Mirror Offline Shopping
Search traffic on NearbyNow's online service closely correlated to the busiest days in the malls, showing that consumers were using the Web to find out to where to buy locally and then acting very quickly -- often the same day. NearbyNow's three highest traffic days were:
-- November 24th: Black Friday was NearbyNow's third busiest day.
-- December 2nd: NearbyNow's traffic peaked on the first Saturday
in December. This was notably earlier than most non-local
shopping sites such as Amazon.com and Shopping.com which both
peaked on December 11th.
-- December 21st: NearbyNow's second busiest day was the Thursday
before Christmas weekend -- well after the online rush and most
online stores' shipping cut-offs. Last minute shoppers still
used the Web to find out where to buy locally.
Local Search Reveals Regional Consumer Preferences
NearbyNow's data also revealed regional differences in product popularity and search term selection. For example, the most popular searches in San Jose, CA were significantly different than in Phoenix, AZ:
San Jose Area Search Terms Phoenix Area Search Terms 1. Handbag 1. boots 2. Vans 2. skinny jeans 3. jordans 3. purses 4. lrg 4. shirts 5. uggs 5. women's boots
NearbyNow makes all of the shopping trend information available in real time to its merchant partners.
NearbyNow enjoyed tremendous growth in both visitors and page views per user.
-- Over 10MM products were viewed in Q4 at mall websites powered
by NearbyNow
* Over 7MM were viewed in Holiday alone (11/15-12/31)
* Peak day was December 2nd with over 220k product images viewed
-- Comparing the holiday period (11/16-12/31) to the prior period
(10/1-11/15):
* Visitors increased 53%
* Page Views per visit increased 41%
Sales and Partnership Inquiries
Shopping Center Management and Retailers interested in additional information, please contact NearbyNow sales and business development at bizdev@nearbynow.com.
About NearbyNow, Inc.
NearbyNow, Inc. provides a unique online service that allows consumers to search all products, brands, and sales available at local shopping centers using the Internet or mobile phones. Working with shopping centers and retailers across the United States, NearbyNow enables consumers to easily access local information both before and during their shopping trips. The company also creates an efficient marketing tool for retailers to target nearby consumers, helping to drive sales by turning online shoppers into in-store buyers. NearbyNow is headquartered in Los Altos, CA. Additional information can be obtained by phone at (650) 947-1300 or via the Web at www.nearbynow.com.