Store-Sync is designed to drive e-commerce and in-store sales by providing a seamless experience for shoppers who use both digital and traditional channels.
May 26, 2015
Blueport Commerce, a provider of e-commerce technology for the retail furniture industry, announced it has been granted a patent for the cloud-based application of big data to link online and in-store shopping experiences for the first time.
"For big-ticket retail categories that don't fit in an Amazon box — such as furniture, mattresses, appliances, cars — physical stores and salespeople play a crucial role in the purchase decision," Carl Prindle, Blueport Commerce president and CEO, said in a statement. "In these categories, consumers like to 'touch and feel' merchandise and consult with an experienced sales professional. Technology like Store-Sync enhances — rather than trying to replace — the in-store experience. In big-ticket categories, that's the real online win for shoppers and retailers."
Store-Sync, Blueport's cloud-based shopping application, drives incremental e-commerce and in-store sales by providing a seamless experience for shoppers who use both digital and traditional channels when shopping for big-ticket items, according to a company release. Whether on their computer, tablet, smartphone or talking to a salesperson, shoppers' behaviors, preferences and the items they are considering are captured and synchronized between all of their devices and the store's point-of-sale system.
Their shopping experience becomes increasingly personalized online and in stores, and shoppers, regardless of which channel they are shopping, easily make progress towards their purchase, never having to start over, the company said in a release.
"The business implications of Store-Sync are potentially transformative to retail far beyond furniture," said Prindle. "Further applications could revolutionize how car dealers and real estate agents engage with buyers.
"Store-Sync, in many ways, is the long-awaited bridge for the digital divide between online research and in-store shopping. Making the in-store experience as personalized and efficient as e-commerce companies like Amazon levels the playing field for traditional retailers. And in big-ticket categories, where stores and salespeople play a really important role, it gives brick-and-mortar retailers an advantage that pure-play e-commerce players can't touch."
Blueport Commerce has already introduced the Store-Sync technology to leading furniture retailers using Blueport's e-commerce platform, according to the release.
