Sprint Goes Shopping

US operator Sprint Nextel will today launch its new mobile online shopping service to be called, appropriately enough, "Mobile Shopper". The new, free service will, says Sprint, allow subscribers to compare prices and purchase a huge range of products using their only their mobile handsets.

The new service, which is provided in partnership with online provider mShopper, will apparently offer customers the chance to purchase any one of seven million product lines. The retailers which have joined the scheme in the US include major mall-names such as Wal-Mart and Target, as well as lesser-known specialist outfits such as GolfTravelBags.com. 

However, the mobile company will not actually earn any commission on purchases but sees the service as a way of attracting new customers and encouraging existing ones to spend more time online.

To date, the vast majority of mobile commerce has been directed at buying ringtones or adding games to mobile devices. Despite the long-cherished hope of mobile service providers and the fixed-line success of companies such as Amazon and eBay, few customers have taken the next step and started using their phones to purchase goods.  Online. Sprint and other mobile companies are gambling that consumers are now ready to make that leap, arguing that eventually the use of mobile phones will be seen as merely one more avenue in the shopping experience.