StepsAway, a company who developed an in-mall mobile retail product offering shoppers smartphone access to hyperlocal in-store deals, Wednesday announced an agreement with Starwood Retail Partners to bring the platform to 10 Starwood properties across the U.S.  

"The recent holiday shopping season undoubtedly proved that mobile was a powerful force in connecting shoppers with real, in-store experiences, and influencing mall purchases while consumers are 'stepsaway' from retailers," said Allan Haims, CEO of StepsAway. "We are thrilled to partner with an innovative, fast-growth developer like Starwood Retail Partners that is staying ahead of the digital curve in bridging shoppers with time-sensitive, in-malls deals directly on their mobile devices."

StepsAway said it completed deployments to the malls in February. Consumers can access the browser-based StepsAway app via a mall's Wi-Fi network. 

Nationally and regionally recognized retailers such as GNC and Things Remembered also will be expanding their use of StepsAway with the addition of Starwood's mall properties, according to a press release. 

The Starwood Retail Partners participating shopping centers will include:  

• Parkway Plaza (El Cajon, California);
• Northlake Mall (Charlotte, North Carolina);
• The Shops at Willow Bend (Plano, Texas);
• The Mall at Wellington Green (Wellington, Florida);
• Gateway Mall (Lincoln, Nebraska);
• Belden Village Mall (Canton, Ohio);
• Franklin Park (Toledo, Ohio);
• Great Northern Mall (North Olmsted, Ohio);
• SouthPark Mall (Strongsville, Ohio); and
• MacArthur Center (Norfolk, Virginia).

"As one of the fastest-growing mall development companies in the U.S., Starwood is continually adopting new technology solutions that yield greater insight into global purchase patterns and behaviors that ultimately directly benefit our retailers," said Scott Wolstein, CEO of Starwood Retail Partners. "The StepsAway partnership brings a single-source retail, in-mall platform directly into the hands of our consumers."

StepsAway said retailers use the comany's publisher tool, SAConnect, to create and deliver promotions across multiple mall properties from their corporate headquarters. The tool also supports dynamic promotions, enabling retailers to make real-time adjustments based on fluctuating store inventory levels or sales trends.