Ace Hardware adds mobile site to its multichannel toolbox

Retailers going mobile have been making mobile sites, apps and texts a part of their multichannel strategies, especially in using m-commerce to help shoppers get to stores and find useful information while in stores.

Ace Hardware Corp. is no exception. The merchant has launched a mobile site that does not complete purchases but instead gives shoppers a tool to use while out and about or in an Ace store.

The home page makes the goal of the site clear with a bold headline: “Welcome to the Ace Hardware mobile site. Get in. Get help. Get on with your life.” The first function offered is a store locator, where shoppers can enter a Zip code and get a list of stores ordered by distance. A tab to the second function enables customers to view the weekly advertisements. Ace Hardware is No. 451 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide (a PDF version of the company’s financial and operating profile can be ordered by clicking on its name).

The mobile site also offers shoppers links to Ace Hardware’s social network pages. Shoppers can select Facebook, Twitter or YouTube icons and be sent to mobile-optimized pages on those sites.