• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, October 15, 2013

Here come the holiday price matches for mobile shoppers.

Before heading to checkout at Staples today, I did what I always do there. I loaded my ShopSavvy app and scanned the $160 product to see what it really should cost.

In about five seconds, I found that same electronics item for $115 at Target.

I showed my phone to the cashier and she checked to make sure the item number was the same on my phone and on the product and she instantly matched the price. No questions, no hassle (though she did need a manager to sign off on it, which took an added few seconds).

Those few seconds saved me $45. Perhaps more importantly for Staples, it prevented me from going to another store.

As the holiday shopping season approaches, retailers are again deciding how to handle matching competitors’ prices for mobile shoppers.

Staples recently introduced what it calls the Staples Price Match Guarantee, giving mobile shoppers the ability to quickly get the best price without leaving the store.

Best Buy launched a similar program last season as did Target. The physical retailers finally decided to match prices, including those from Amazon.

The Staples program is supposed to start November 3, but any savvy mobile shopper knows the retailer has been matching physical retailer prices for somewhere around forever.

If this practice becomes ubiquitous, the mobile shopper conceptually will be of higher value once in the store.

Rather than losing mobile price comparison shoppers without even knowing it, price-matching retailers can feel somewhat more comfortable with mobile consumer in their stores.

The potential risk of showrooming declines and consumers could feel assured that they’re getting the best price in the store where they’re currently shopping.

If this price-matching wave continues past the holidays, merchants may find higher activity and transactions from mobile shoppers in their stores.

This could create a new and higher value in driving mobile shoppers to physical stores.