Get Ready for Back to School Shopping With NearbyNow, Find and Reserve Local Products to Save Time and Money

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - August 12, 2008) - The back to school countdown has begun. Summer vacations are drawing to close. Visiting day at camp has come and gone. Labor Day is three weeks away. Top of mind for most kids and parents is the annual trek to the local mall or closest retail stores to buy the 'latest' vintage T-shirts, Skate Print Full-Zip hoodies, Vans' sneakers, ballet flats or those 'gotta have' 'Hannah Montana' ruffled blouses. But how can these shoppers make the most of their back to school budgets without wasting gas driving around town?

NearbyNow lets back to school shoppers use the Internet or mobile phone to search the inventory of nearby stores, check price and size availability, and put those most wanted items on hold to pick up in-store with a single click. Parents no longer have to drive from store to store wondering which one actually has that hoodie or carries the right sneakers in size 12; instead they can put items on hold and go pick them up making the shopping journey, painless and efficient. According to both the Los Angeles Times on July 20 and USA Today on July 30, it was reported that most families across the US, are planning to do all their shopping in one place to reduce the number of trips necessary and save gas costs.

How easy and convenient is the NearbyNow service to use? Millions of shoppers have found out, such as Katie Bennett of Morgantown, WV. "The NearbyNow service is amazing. I have since forwarded the NearbyNow site to all my colleagues for their future searches."

And for Peter Dilks, NearbyNow's service saved the day. "I had looked everywhere for these shoes for my daughter's birthday and found them through your online service. I reserved them and picked them up that same night at my local mall and I was able to give them to her on her birthday. It was an incredible help and I will recommend this to everyone I know! Thanks for making my day!"

As an additional bonus this Back to School shopping season, from now until September 5, 2008, parents and kids who use the NearbyNow online service to place an item on hold may win that item or other great prizes in the "2008 NearbyNow HOLD IT. WIN IT.™ for Back to School Sweepstakes." Shoppers can also text HOLDIT to 632729 (NEARBY) to enter the drawing.

To start the back to school shopping trip, parents and kids can go to http://www.nearbynow.com to find the closest local shopping area, and then search the stores and shops near them just by typing in what they are looking for -- such as "Hannah Montana ruffled blouses" or "backpack." If they see an item they would like, shoppers click on the "Is It in Stock?" button and enter their size and color information. The NearbyNow Concierge team then calls the store to verify the item's in stock, and replies in less than 10 minutes with a personalized claim check sent via e-mail or mobile phone telling them exactly who to ask for when picking up the item. Every time they check inventory or reserve a product, it's a chance to win!

NearbyNow is available in over 200 local shopping areas in 130 U.S. cities, and 50% of U.S. consumers are within 30 miles of a NearbyNow-enabled local shopping area. Shoppers will also find current sales and available coupons, so they never miss out on savings. While on the go, shoppers can search for last-minute items directly from their mobile phone, and even sign up for hot deals to get sent to their mobile phone on a weekly basis.

About the '2008 NearbyNow HOLD IT. WIN IT. ™ for Back to School' Sweepstakes

There are five categories of grand prizes. Parents and children can win gift cards from Buckle® and Metropark®, iPhone® 3G - 8GB mobile digital devices *, Mimobot® Swirl 1GB USB Flash Drives, and a Nintendo DS® Lite handheld game unit. Plus, five lucky shoppers per week are eligible to win NearbyNow "Win It" Prizes that gives winners the items they place on hold for free. So search for it, reserve it and pick it up at your convenience -- with NearbyNow!

The sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents age 13 or older, and there is no purchase required to enter or win. NearbyNow has partnered with renowned retailers including Buckle, Metropark, among others -- so shoppers can log on to www.nearbynow.com/holdit to find the nearest local shopping area and additional sweepstakes information.

About NearbyNow, Inc.

NearbyNow, Inc. provides a unique online service that allows consumers to search all products, brands, and sales currently available in local shopping areas near them using the Internet or mobile phones. Shoppers can even put items on hold to pick up with a single click, ensuring that items will be available in the needed size and color. The company also creates an efficient marketing tool for retailers to target nearby consumers, helping increase sales by turning online shoppers into in-store buyers. NearbyNow is headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Additional information can be obtained by phone at (650) 947-1300 or via the Web at www.nearbynow.com, or try our service at a shopping mall near you by texting to NEARBY (632729).

*Product trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Buckle® and Metropark® are co-sponsors of this promotion. All other companies are not sponsors of or otherwise affiliated with this promotion.

Contact Information: MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Curley Trier and Company for NearbyNow (415) 515-9064 - mobile sam@triercompany.com