When was the last time you sifted through the pile of coupons and special offers that fill your mailbox each day? Extreme "couponers" aside, most of us rely more on the daily coupons we receive via email from online sites, rather than the thousands that end up in our recycling bin each month.

Today, technology has influenced the purchase decision, and buyers are bringing their own technology -smartphones and mobile devices -on their shopping excursions. In a world where 74% of smartphone owners use their mobile phones to get real-time location-based information, retailers need to harness the power of the loyal customers and market to those consumers in real-time.

Cisco's partnership with SAP for a new Retail Mobility Solution offers a unique business-to-consumer shopping experience that brings real-time and location-based deals to shoppers and allows businesses to improve customer service and more accurately track ROI. Supporting the solution, Cisco's Context Aware Services, Cisco's Mobility Services Engine (MSE) and Cisco Prime Network Management with SAP's Precision Retail Application (Apollo), optimize the in-store experience for consumers and retail decision makers. This mobility retail solution leverages the indoor-location and analytic capabilities of the Cisco Connected Mobile Experience platform to drive a premium consumer experience, allowing shoppers to make quick decisions and receive instant discounts on their mobile devices to put towards their purchases.

Instead of coupon clipping or trying the deal of the week, imagine customers carrying a smartphone into their favorite store, instantly connecting to the store's Wi-Fi network, and prompting them to launch the store's mobile app. The automatic check-in feature rewards the consumer with loyalty points and the store manager receives customer shopping details (with opt-in permission), using the app's location service. Leveraging the Wi-Fi network intelligence, retail stores are able to quickly find and assist customers when they need a new size or offer a personalized new product recommendation based on previous purchases.

Finally, the shopping experience ends with customers scanning a barcode at the register and getting credit for the points collected. Meanwhile, store management tracks the ROI of the deals and offers sent through the mobile application and can even forecast inventory levels based on current customer consumption.

SAP and Cisco are providing businesses with the means to improve their relationships with loyal customers and track the success of sales tactics. As a result, customers experience efficient, personalized shopping and retailers see new revenue opportunities.

Together, Cisco's technology supports SAP's Retail Mobility Solution, transforming the shopping experience and boosting sales for their customers.

To learn more, check out this video from the SAP SAPPHIRE event that explains the Retail Shopping Experience