Not every retailer views mobile technology in the hands of consumers as a gateway to "showrooming," the practice of browsing in-store but buying from an online competitor.

In fact, some retailers are embracing mobile technology to make the in-store visit better. Walgreens is now deploying a technology that lets shoppers map any Walgreens store on their smartphones. The technology is provided by aisle411, a mobile retail navigation service.

The in-store mapping platform allows customers to view store layouts of any of the nearly 8,000 locations on their smartphones, and it guides customers to product locations down to a particular section of an aisle. Walgreens is the first national retailer with all of its stores mapped in a mobile application.

"Retailers are constantly looking for solutions to enhance their customer's store visits and improve convenience," Nathan Pettyjohn, CEO of aisle411, said in a company press release. "aisle411 allows retailers to empower their shoppers by providing information such as product locations right in customers' hands, making the shopping experience more convenient and fun."

A national survey, commissioned by aisle411, found that nearly 84 percent of shoppers have difficulty finding products on store shelves and more than 20 percent of shoppers leave the store without their full purchase intent. Pettyjohn said his app solves that problem by empowering customers to find products and promotions quickly and easily in retail stores.

"We are always looking for new ways to utilize technology to deliver a better shopping experience and help customers with their health and daily living needs," Abhi Dhar, Walgreens chief technology officer, said in the release.

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