Dive Brief:

• Mall developer Starwood Retail Partners has inked a partnership with mobile app StepsAway to deploy its proximity advertising solution in 10 malls nationwide. 
• Accessible via malls’ Wi-Fi networks, the browser-based StepsAway app helps retailers influence consumers' behavior while they shop. 
• The agreement will help Starwood tenant businesses such as GNC, Things Remembered, Sephora, and Express issue shoppers offers and information on their mobile phones. 

Dive Insight:

Accessed through malls’ Wi-Fi networks, StepsAway says it can help malls increase sales per square foot by allowing retailers to issue offers and information as people shop. Already in use in several Taubman properties, the new agreement will expand StepsAway’s footprint in seven states.

“The recent holiday shopping season undoubtedly proved that mobile was a powerful force in connecting shoppers with real, in-store experiences and influencing mall purchases while consumers are ‘stepsaway’ from retailers,” says Allan Haims, StepsAway CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with an innovative, fast-growth developer like Starwood Retail Partners that is staying ahead of the digital curve in bridging shoppers with time-sensitive, in-mall deals directly on their mobile devices.”