| Some shoppers enjoy hunting through a store in an effort to find a particular product. Shoppers who have only a vague idea of the desired product or who are looking for anything that inspires them may benefit from searching through the various products of a store. |
Other shoppers, however, prefer to proceed directly to the product location. For example, the shopper may be on a tight schedule or the shopper may simply desire to minimize the shopping experience. In some instances, this type of shopper may be not overly familiar with the various products that a store offers. Moreover, the actual location of the products within the store may not be known. This leads to undesired extension of the shopping experience, particularly when the store offers a large number of products. |
Additionally, many retail stores are continuously receiving and stocking new products. Accordingly, the particular location of an item within the store may change. A shopper looking for the product in a location of the store that was previously occupied by the product may thus be unable to find the product, even if the product is still available albeit at a different location within the store. While it is possible to ask a store employee for assistance in locating a product, some shoppers are averse to such interactions. Furthermore, the particular store employee may not be aware that the product has been moved. |
What is needed is a system which automatically guides a shopper to the location of a desired product. What is further needed is a system that can accompany the shopper through the store to provide updated guidance. A further need exists for a system which can inform the shopper when a desired product is not available and suggest an alternative product which is available. |
