When in doubt, talk to the shoe.

The retail chain Bon-Ton Stores has added a mobile solution that lets in-store shoe shoppers know if the store has the shoes they're looking for. If not, an RF/NFC-enabled display shoe will guide shoppers to the nearest store that has the shoe in stock or direct them to a mobile commerce site where they make the purchase on the spot. The shoes-on-display mobile marketing channel can be accessed by NFC-enabled smartphones.

The solution, developed by Thinaire, is active in more than 30 Bon-Ton Stores locations across 11 states. The chain had earlier installed in-store signage informing shoppers about the NFC technology. The first programs ran in the cosmetics departments featuring Estee Lauder and Clinique campaigns.

Bon-Ton Stores said it plans to feature hundreds of thousands of shoe SKUs along with product information messages communicated by NFC-enabled decals.

"Delivering dynamic product information through smartphones is just the beginning of the mobile engagement experience," Patrick Meyer, chief marketing officer, Thinaire, said in a news release. "Allowing shoppers immediate visibility into product availability makes the shopping experience more rewarding."

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pa., and Milwaukee, operates 273 department stores, including 10 furniture galleries, in 25 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers nameplates.

Thinaire is a provider of RF engagement marketing solutions for brands such as Sony, adidas, Unilever, Kraft, Verizon, Nine West and Hershey's.

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