The mobile shopping service, RetrevoQ, sends products and shopping advice to a consumer’s handset after a consumer sends a Tweet or text message to Retrevo. The Retrevo service sends a response back with product advice.

“Retrevo has become a trusted source of online information for users to help them find the right consumer electronics products,” said Manish Rathi, cofounder/vice president of marketing at Retrevo, Sunnyvale, CA. “Today we enable the same capabilities for the users who are in the store and need a second opinion before they buy a product.

“Retrevo’s new service will save them time and money and provides the peace of mind to know they are not buying the wrong product or paying too much,” he said.

Retrevo’s services are designed to help consumers decide what to buy, when to buy and where to buy electronic items.

Shopping help
To use RetrevoQ from a mobile device consumers text the keyword RETREVOQ with a product make and model to short code 4141. For example, to receive information on a Canon digital camera a consumer’s text should say “RETREVOQ Canon 500D.”

Then, Retrevo will send back three pieces of information, a real-time recommendation on whether or not it s a good product to buy, a fair price based on the product’s feature set and the product’s price range on the Internet.

“SMS provides direct and private responses to users when they need the information most,” Mr. Rathi said. “It is available for users who may not have a data plan or be able to use Twitter.

“It also has a wider, more established audience,” he said.

Consumers can access RetrevoQ via Twitter as well by tweeting the product make and model at @retrevoq.

To receive a direct, private message, consumers need to follow RetrevoQ on Twitter at http://twitter.com/retrevoq and then direct-message the product make and model.

Mr. Rathi said that Retrevo has appealed to a wide variety of online gadget shoppers in the 18-55 age-demographic and that the new mobile services are targeting both the younger and older segments of Retrevo’s demographic.

The services are not directly monetized.

If consumers click on the link in the SMS or Tweet for more details, they go to Retrevo’s Web site.

Retrevo’s Web site is monetized with advertising and lead-generation.

Mr. Rathi said that the primary goal of the mobile service is to provide a useful in-store experience to build brand loyalty among Retrevo’s users.

“Mobile shopping services of all kinds are anticipated to be substantial this holiday season,” Mr. Rathi said. “People are more aware of what they are buying, what they are spending, what value they want and they aren’t as willing to settle as they may have been in previous years.

“With the growing adoption of smart phones and portable, internet connected devices, mobile services are becoming an interracial part of our daily lives and mobile shopping services that help customers compare,” he said.