INTERNET GUIDE HELPS FIND STORES, ITEMS, PRICES

JON SPRINGER

CHANDLER, Ariz. -- A division of Intel Corp. here is building an on-line shopping comparison guide that will direct customers to local supermarkets and provide retailers and product manufacturers with a superior advertising vehicle, its creators say.

EyeOnMarket.com, which launched last month, allows consumers to compare prices of various items, including groceries, and be directed to the local stores where those products are available, Mary Ann Butcher, director of retail sales for EyeOnMarket, told SN.

The site uses a sortable database allowing consumers to search for goods by geographical area, retailer, price or product.

From the EyeOnMarket home page, customers specify their nearest zip code or city, then select a product category. Choosing "grocery" brings up a menu broken down to aisles, and a click on an aisle prompts a page listing individual products, stores where those products are available and their current price. Site users can also link to maps locating their nearest store, and create a shopping list as they browse.

Unlike Internet shopping "bots" such as MySimon, which use search engines to seek out e-tailers, EyeOnMarket relies on a proprietary database provided by retailers and manufacturers, Butcher said. Basic listings are free of charge while "enhanced" listings, which could include details or more prominent placement, are available for a fee, she added.

Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif.; Albertson's, Boise, Idaho, and Basha's, Chandler, Ariz., are among the supermarkets whose prices and store locations are currently listed in the EyeOnMarket database.

Additional companies should be attracted to the site because it provides targeted advertising and aggregate consumer data, Butcher said.