The mobile app is available for smartphones built on the AT&T Mobile Enterprise Applications Platform. The app is available for free.

Hy-Vee is an employee-owned corporation operating 235 supermarkets and drugstores in eight Midwest states.

AT&T is a provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services.

Mobile shopping
Consumers can use the Hy-Vee app to help them prepare meals, as well as gain access to store and pharmacy information.

Users can locate products.

The app is customized by store and the voice-activated Product Locator feature leads consumers directly to the aisle and shelf of the product that they are looking.

Additionally, users can browse weekly ads, search recipes and build shopping lists.

Consumers can also buy catering, floral and bakery items through their mobile device.

The mobile app also lets users engage in Hy-Vee’s social media channels and reports out-of-stock items via Twitter.

Mobile awareness
Rolling out a mobile application is a smart move for Hy-Vee.

The company is realizing that technology is evolving and it needs to adapt to keep up with its growning tech-savvy consumer base.

Consumers are always on their mobile device and incorporating a feature in a mobile app such as finding certain in-store products is a good thing for Hy-Vee especially when consumers may feel lost in a big supermarket.

Last year, Hy-Vee rolled out an iPhone application that lets users place orders from its bakery, catering and floral departments to pick up in-store or have delivered.

Additionally, the Hy-Vee app includes weekly deals, geo-location and commerce-enabled features. Hy-Vee worked with mobile search service aisle411 on this initiative (see story).

Final Take
Rimma Kats is staff reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York