When 14-year-old Hunter Mulford and her friends go shopping, they love to click away at potential purchases with their camera phones and send the images to other friends for instant reviews.

Mulford and her shopping posse may soon get more than a thumbs up or down; they will also be able to get recommendations on shoes, jewelry and even cosmetics to coordinate with the garments they want to purchase and end up leaving with an entire ensemble. This will be accomplished using cell phones to scan bar codes; within seconds, an image of a model wearing the apparel as well as accessories appears on the phone screen.

Teaming its 2D label technology with cell phones, Avery Dennison will enable retailers to better tap into today's most prized demographic – teens, college students and young professionals who aren't scrimping on fashion purchases.

Avery Dennison uses the term "the third screen" to describe how these savvy shoppers are using phones in much the same way they use TV and the Internet. According to George Hoffman, vice president of innovation for Avery Dennison's information and brand management division, the concept can extend beyond traditional apparel.

A more task-oriented consumer desiring a new fishing reel in a sporting goods store can also get recommendations on gear (fishing line, hip boots) on his phone; a wine shop might use the technology to recommend foods that would complement a wine purchase.

"Anything a retailer can do to enhance the shoppers' experience is more important than ever," Hoffman says. "Shoppers want additional information, and we have new means to communicate this within the store in real time. This is a quantum leap for retailers."

Given the current state of the economy and its impact on the retail industry, merchants "need to maximize multiple sales," says WSL Strategic Retail's Wendy Liebmann. "Anything that can be done to increase the number of items through the register goes to the bottom line." And adding services like this can help differentiate one merchant or vendor from the rest of the pack. Vertical retailers can especially benefit from the technology and serve as a one-stop shopping venue, rather than losing an accessory sale to a competitor.

Most current camera phones can process the bar codes, Hoffman says, and an ever-increasing number of malls and retailers are ensuring that phone service can be accommodated within their walls.

Small investment
What makes this assisted in-store selling vehicle even more attractive to retailers is the fact that it can build sales with very little investment in equipment. "It is easy for retailers to move into this and it is an effective way to use dollars to talk to consumers one-to-one," Hoffman says. The initial efforts are targeting likely early adopters in the 13- to 30-year-old range.

In addition to viewing a model sporting a full array of items, shoppers can scan the outfits for use on social networking sites like Facebook or My Space or take the image to a sales associate to assist in finding all of the elements. Eventually, the tags can prompt consumers to get special coupon deals or specific discounts on the items they view. If a desired item is out of stock, the shopper could prompt the system to find a store and send it directly to her home. Retailers can also customize the program to their own needs.

"Boy, could this make shopping even more fun," says Mulford, who can't wait for her phone to become her own personal shopper.