RedLaser 4.0 — the latest version of eBay Inc.’s leading barcode and QR code scanning mobile application — is now available . The new mobile app has new local shopping features that offer unique, in-store experiences, additional in-app checkout and payment features, and more.

In this interview with Rob Veres, General Manager of RedLaser, you can get the inside track on what the new version of this free mobile app is capable of.

Which new features in RedLaser 4.0 are you particularly excited about?

One of the most exciting new features is called In-Store Experience. It uses GPS on a customer’s phone to figure out when he or she is in a local store. To date, RedLaser has been used widely in local stores, but often we just tell the customer where else to buy a product.

With the In-Store Experience, though, we’re able to actually identify that the customer is in a Best Buy store, and customize what we show the customer based on that. So, we can supply more information about what’s actually available at the Best Buy the customer is in.

These things might include local discounts available at that particular store, installation services, special warranties, etc. We can also show accessories that might go with a product the customer intends to purchase. If you’re buying a digital camera, we might show a recommended lens for it.

We can even show “open box” inventory available at any particular Best Buy store, where the customer can get a big discount on a product that has been previously opened.

Which other features should people look out for?

We’ve added quite a few deals into the app, available at many merchants. You can browse deals that might be available online through a code you can enter, or get coupons that you can display with our app and use at checkout at a local store. 
How can new users best get going with RedLaser 4.0?

It’s available on the iTunes app store , and the new features will be coming to the Android version of the app very soon. Users who already have a RedLaser app can just go and update it.

RedLaser remains right at the intersection of the blurring of online and offline commerce. What’s the future of that trend?

Consumers are going to have access to more and more information, and mobile devices make it possible for them to have it right in the palms of their hands at all times. Our mission is to empower consumers with as much information as possible, so that when they’re on a shopping trip—whether on a targeted trip or just looking around—they have all the information needed to decide what to purchase and when to purchase it.

For a long time, some of the data that we show in RedLaser has been difficult to obtain, but we’re starting to see that change, letting us provide 360 degree views of what’s available locally, what there might be a good deal on, what’s available online, and more.

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