Keitai Watch reports that Amazon Japan introduced their Physical World Connection service called "Amazon Scan Search".
From Gizmodo Amazon Japan Cell Phone Fancypants service
After users download an application to their cell phone free of charge, they can scan barcodes of ordinary products, which in turn enables them to search the cell phone version of Amazon.co.jp for the respective product.
Once they get a result on their search, they can then choose to purchase the item right from their phone.
Questions for PP readers.
Will this be have more value than a price comparison service?
Will a service like this or a wireless carrier embedding the code-reading application on the mobile phone deliver PWC quicker?
6 comments:
Scott,
I can tell you this has more value to me, personally speaking. I think for a great deal of items people want them quickly and are not too concerned with saving a few cents or dollars, all the time. Very similar to gas and cigarettes. Do you drive all over the city looking for the cheapest gas or smokes or purchase them when you need them and at a convenient location.
Many consumers are not that price sensitive and convenience plays a bigger role in their purchasing decisions.
Crusher
This gives Amazon possibility to compete with offline retailers on the most critical moment to loose a customer to the offline retailer. Targeted to the mobile shopper so quick search, get informed about the product and buy.
Customer empowering very common on the Internet and still not available when you leave the PC..... well thats changed now.
I still think price comparising still is the killer app. This is in a way the same thing between offline price and Amazon price.
I disagree on price comparison being the killer app.
Any big ticket item is not an impulse buy so chances are you will compare prices using PC.
Do you really think you will walk into a Circuit City and compare prices on a DVD player?
What I could see is click to buy and then having the product shipped to your home.
All the details are set up w/ your mobile account and who knows maybe a Sprint would start to offer "mobile miles".
Any impulse buy is too cheap for a big difference to go across the street to buy it. That's why it's an impulse buy.
"Do you really think you will walk into a Circuit City and compare prices on a DVD player?"
"Yes"...I noted in a Scanbuy TV review (San Francisco TV station a few months ago) the woman shopper made a keen observation: Hmm...I could show a lower price on my phone to the sales person and see if they want to deal...
IMO you are wrong about this aspect of using one's mobile mouse.
Hey if sales people are being forced to negotiate with codes being scanned by cell phones, how long will it be before you will not see UPC codes on the products.
Already few big ticket items show a UPC. ---Try to find one on a computer or big screen tv in a showroom. The codes are all internal stocking codes not UPC.
Further, camera phone scanning is a waste for this purpose. Just key in the digits. It is only 12 characters. Note that scanbuy after years of claiming they could read UPC codes with camera phones is now just letting people key in the digits in their phones. You can just text the digits to google or 4INFO for similar services.
Also, in Japan the phones all come with macro lenses. which are required for UPC reading.
Scan - Choose - Buy - get it send to your place = killer app.
Biggest thread to any scan enabled camera phone is indeed the fact that camera phones are designed to make pictures at a distance. Getting scanning right the focus point need to be different so macro lenses are needed.
Further is the integration of the scan aplication on every phone model a big and costly integration track.
RFID tags in/on luxury goods is the last thread.
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