Searchandise Commerce, an online media network for product manufacturers and their retail channel partners, has launched HitList Mobile, which will deliver the companys online merchandising services to mobile devices.
The companu says that HitList Mobile will enable manufacturers to positively affect their position for maximum visibility wherever searches are occurring, whether its on the web or the mobile web, while retailers can use the service to monetize premium position as a means of generating revenue from untapped mobile real estate. According to a recent report from Compete, 37% of Smartphone owners bought merchandise via their phones in 2009.
Searchandise Commerce combines the dynamics of in-store merchandising, where products vie for premium position, with the ROI and cost-per-click bidding of paid search, and applies it to online retail. Now the service is offered on mobile devices to better engage consumers while theyre researching and purchasing products on the mobile web.
HitList Mobile extends HitList, the companys solution that enables retailers to monetize all areas of their websites, to mobile sites. Manufacturers bid for improved placement in search results, product showcases, category and sub-category pages and home pages, by incorporating advertiser bids into site-side search as part of their sort algorithm.
For retailers, the upside is that with no cost, an incremental revenue stream can be turned on, with no disruption to the consumer experience and no loss of control over sort order. For manufacturers, HitList Mobile offers an opportunity to proactively manage product placement, boost visibility and increase clickshare across a network of retail sites.   
We are seeing increased interest from our customers in the ability to purchase through a variety of mobile devices, says Andre Brysha, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Ritz Interactive. Our main concern is that Ritz Interactive is easy to navigate through any access point, including Smartphones and other mobile devices.  Having worked with Searchandise Commerce on our core website site, were encouraged to see the solution expand to mobile, and dovetail with our strategy.
Searchandise Commerce says that HitList Mobile is representative of the larger trend of m-commerce. Nearly one in five consumers were expected to use their mobile phones to assist them with 2009 holiday shopping, according to a survey of 10,878 US consumers carried out by research firm Deloitte LLC. 55% of those planned to use their phone to find store locations, 45% to research prices, 40% to find product information, 32% to get discounts and coupons and 31% to read reviews. In addition, one in four shoppers were expected to make a purchase via their mobile phone.