Epicor Retail Enterprise Selling Google Adapter introduced

18 Nov '10

4 min read

Epicor Software Corporation introduced the Epicor Retail Enterprise Selling Google Adapter, enabling retailers to show consumers - right within their search results - whether or not items are in stock at nearby stores when using Google Product Search. Consumers viewing Google Product Search listings can tap or click on the adjacent “In stock nearby” link to view whether the item is “In Stock” or has “Limited Availability” at retailers located nearby.

They can also see how far that store is from the consumers' home or business location. Retailers leveraging this real-time inventory and store location functionality gain visibility with potential buyers and capture resulting revenue by ensuring they obtain the items they most desire. Retailers leveraging Google AdWords can also serve up promotional offers, providing added relevancy and incentives to help drive in-store purchases.

Multiple studies show a large majority of shoppers use the Internet -- or Internet-enabled smart-phones -- to research products and find local businesses from which to shop. And today, retailers are anxious to provide the needed information to meet this growing demand. “In today's Smartphone Era, retailers have found that integrating inventory look-up and location-specific data is very effective in driving traffic to 'brick and mortar' stores and providing a consumer-centric value added service,” said Randy Tofteland, executive vice president, retail software for Epicor.

“Many consumers want the confidence and immediate gratification of getting products today, if they're available, rather than ordering online and paying shipping fees to get them later, and relish the ability to pinpoint the exact location to find the specific product they are looking for at the best price,” he said.

“The Epicor Retail Enterprise Selling Google Adapter enables retailers to easily fulfill consumers' needs for local inventory availability.”

Among the first Epicor customers to use the new Enterprise Selling Google Adapter is athletic apparel and equipment retailer Sport Chalet. The company, which operates 55 stores, now offers consumers product information and in-store inventory availability for more than 18,000 products.

“Epicor's new adapter enabled Sport Chalet to easily support the inventory availability requirements for Google Product Search without the need for custom coding,” said Ted Jackson, vice president of IT and CIO, Sport Chalet.

“This functionality is very important to drive traffic to our stores. Sport Chalet prides itself on employing experts with a strategic focus of enhancing the customer's shopping experience. With this new tool, our customers will not only have increased online visibility to our great product selection but, once in store, will also have access to many services and instruction for activities such as backpacking, canyoneering, kayaking, or SCUBA certification.”

“The greater the number and variety of retailers that are included in our local availability feature, the more attractive and useful our application is to the consumer,” said Sameer Samat, product director at Google. “We engaged with Epicor, knowing they were a significant vendor in the retail space and had the requisite technology capabilities to support real-time inventory availability, and to develop a connector that could support retailers in this area. We are very excited that retailers are now leveraging this technology to join the Google Product Search business partner community.”

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