New apps for mobile shopping: the METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
- Presentation of new smartphone applications that make shopping easier
- Participation in the North Rhine-Westphalia pavilion at the world’s largest mobile communications trade fair
- METROphone: the first mobile phone-based delivery service for commercial customers is in the test phase
Applications for convenient shopping
Apps for smartphones such as the iPhone are at the heart of the METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative’s trade fair presentation. The app for METRO GROUP’s real,- sales division, for example, shows the way to the nearest hypermarket, presents the latest special offers, and can even be used as a mobile shopping list. In addition, an integrated cooking show offers users inspiration for their next shopping trip. The real,- App is free of charge, and is available for the iOs and Android operating systems. It has already been downloaded more than 185,000 times.
The MSA App is also a new addition. This is a further development of the Mobile Shopping Assistant (MSA) that METRO GROUP is currently testing in its real,- Future Store in Tönisvorst, Germany. Customers are now able to use their iPhones to scan in the barcode from products and add them to a virtual shopping basket. Once the customer has finished shopping, the MSA App displays a barcode that can be read in at one of the paystations in the real,- Future Store. This function considerably accelerates the payment procedure due to the fact that the items no longer have to be scanned in at the checkout.
METROphone – the future of delivery
The Metro Cash & Carry sales division is the first wholesaler in the world to test an app that has been specially tailored for commercial customers: the METROphone. Selected delivery service customers are now able to order their goods directly within the application. To do so, they select products from a search screen or by scanning existing barcodes using the iPhone’s built-in autofocus camera. The METROphone can be used to take care of the entire ordering process, and the delivery status can be viewed at any time. Once the test phase has been completed, Metro Cash & Carry will check the feasibility of launching this application throughout Germany.
Mobile World Congress
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011 will be taking place for the sixth time at Fira Montjuic, Barcelona's oldest and most famous trade fair venue. NRW.International, North Rhine-Westphalia’s association for the promotion of foreign trade, has been organising a pavilion at this event for companies from this state since 2008. This year's pavilion will once again be found in Hall 1, near large companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Visa. 18 companies from North Rhine-Westphalia will be taking part in this year's pavilion under the slogan 'Mobile Power of Germany'. Further information is available at: www.mobileworldcongress.com
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011 will be taking place for the sixth time at Fira Montjuic, Barcelona's oldest and most famous trade fair venue. NRW.International, North Rhine-Westphalia’s association for the promotion of foreign trade, has been organising a pavilion at this event for companies from this state since 2008. This year's pavilion will once again be found in Hall 1, near large companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Visa. 18 companies from North Rhine-Westphalia will be taking part in this year's pavilion under the slogan 'Mobile Power of Germany'. Further information is available at: www.mobileworldcongress.com
METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative
The METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative founded in 2002 aims to drive forward the modernisation process in the retail sector and develop practical concepts suited for use in the field of tomorrow's retailing. More than 90 partners from the IT and consumer goods industries, the service sector as well as representatives from the world of science have regrouped under the initiative. Partners include SAP, Intel, IBM, T-Systems and Cisco as well as a consortium consisting of Fujitsu and Siemens. The central platform of the METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative is real,- Future Store in Tönisvorst opened in May 2008. In the hypermarket of the future the partners test new technologies and concepts under real-life conditions and develop them further until market maturity.
The METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative founded in 2002 aims to drive forward the modernisation process in the retail sector and develop practical concepts suited for use in the field of tomorrow's retailing. More than 90 partners from the IT and consumer goods industries, the service sector as well as representatives from the world of science have regrouped under the initiative. Partners include SAP, Intel, IBM, T-Systems and Cisco as well as a consortium consisting of Fujitsu and Siemens. The central platform of the METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative is real,- Future Store in Tönisvorst opened in May 2008. In the hypermarket of the future the partners test new technologies and concepts under real-life conditions and develop them further until market maturity.
METRO GROUP
METRO GROUP is one of the largest and most international retailing companies. In 2010 the Group reached sales of around € 67 billion. The company has a headcount of some 290,000 employees and operates more than 2,100 stores in 33 countries. The Group's performance is based on the strength of its sales brands which operate independently in their respective market segment: Metro/Makro Cash & Carry – the international leader in self-service wholesale, Real hypermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn – European market leader in consumer electronics retailing, and Galeria Kaufhof department stores. Further information is available at: www.metrogroup.de
METRO GROUP is one of the largest and most international retailing companies. In 2010 the Group reached sales of around € 67 billion. The company has a headcount of some 290,000 employees and operates more than 2,100 stores in 33 countries. The Group's performance is based on the strength of its sales brands which operate independently in their respective market segment: Metro/Makro Cash & Carry – the international leader in self-service wholesale, Real hypermarkets, Media Markt and Saturn – European market leader in consumer electronics retailing, and Galeria Kaufhof department stores. Further information is available at: www.metrogroup.de
Contact
METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative
Corporate Communications
Schlüterstraße 1
40235 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone: +49 211 6886 2004
E-Mail: presse@future-store.org
METRO GROUP Future Store Initiative
Corporate Communications
Schlüterstraße 1
40235 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone: +49 211 6886 2004
E-Mail: presse@future-store.org
