Evan Schuman's StorefrontBacktalk

The ability to use GPS to deliver geolocation features for mobile commerce is one of the feature-rich capabilities that scares away even the most lion-hearted E-Commerce execs. The ability to tailor offerings to a consumer’s precise location is powerful, but so too are the paranoia fears of letting a consumer know just how much you know about them. Sears has opted to try to make it feel a little safer.

When the mobile app is launched (Sears is first pushing it for Apple’s iPhone, apparently on the premise that anyone who would shell out that kind of money for an AT&T phone is probably clueless as to where they are most of the time), consumers are given the choice of typing in their Zip Codes or letting the phone’s GPS system find them. If the consumer selects for the phone to find her, it’s presumably going to feel less freaky. “The app then customizes the shopping experience, showcasing geographically relevant products, such as local sports teams apparel, the closest stores to where the shopper is at that moment, and even current weather conditions,” said an Internet Retailer story. “Shoppers can search Sears products, browse by category, review current coupons and perform other tasks as they would on the Sears e-commerce site.”