Cellular shoe shopping: Mobile Shopper hits Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel Corp. launched a new mobile shopping service that allows users to compare and purchase real-world items using their cellphones.
The Mobile Shopper WAP site can be accessed by the carrier’s data subscribers at no additional charge, according to Sprint Nextel. The service features more than 7 million products from about 30 online retailers including eLuxury, Shoes.com, eBags and Bluefly.
Sprint Nextel said the service allows customers to search for a specific product via the lowest price, or browse according to retailer or category. Once an item is found, users can e-mail the details to themselves or friends, or use their handset to purchase the item.
“With Mobile Shopper, Sprint customers get a powerful shopping tool that they can use on-the-go to buy products or compare online prices to in-store merchandise,” said George Ranallo, director of consumer data applications for Sprint Nextel.
Customers must set up a purchasing account on their phone or a PC, which includes their shipping address, credit-card information and a personal identification number. Making a purchase involves entering their phone number and PIN. Sprint Nextel data customers can immediately access the service by choosing the Web icon from their devices’ main menu and typing the keyword “shop” into the search box.