Donde: It’s Where To Find Stuff Nearby

Donde, which is Spanish for “where,” is a mobile store locator that allows customers to search for particular brands and products. The company, which launched in June 2013, serves as a B2B solution, targeting consumers who use their phones for shopping.

More than three quarters of consumers now use their phones at some point in the buying process, and 82 percent actually then buy in retail stores, according to Donde CEO Anthony Nicalo, If, for example, someone is looking for a Louisville Slugger bat, Donde’s app will show them the closest location to buy it.

In terms of converting online to offline sales, Cincinnati-based Donde considers location as just the “tip of the iceberg,” Nicalo said in a podcast interview with Market Platform Dynamics CEO Karen Webster.

(jump to: 3:25) “We’re already beginning to roll out functionality inside the locator that’s essentially a transactional advertising unit so that our customers can help influence their potential shoppers on the mobile path to purchase,” said Nicalo. This, he said, will emphasize display and review, the quality of the product before a customer makes the trip to the store. And in terms of payments, Donde aims to combine the ability to drive transactions at the retail level.  

In examining consumer purchase intent, Donde has been gathering interesting data. For example, people are getting directions to stores that sell items like shoes, but when searching for food at regular grocery stores, they seem to already know where they are going.

(jump to: 4:37) “We are also able to see things like whether you are a purchaser of a particular item or brand, and which other brands that you have an affinity for, as you come back to a different locator that’s powered by us,” said Nicalo.

Shoppers using Donde will also tend to start browsing for an item on their mobile, then use a tablet or PC to do more Web roaming. They then return to their phones, once they are fairly sure they want to buy it, to find out the most convenient place to find it.

(jump to: 9:45) “Then, for our customers, we make sure to reduce the noise around life, so that the shopper doesn’t forget about that thing he or she wanted when they get to the shelf, and then pick up a competitor’s product,” said Nicalo. “That is the opportunity around transactional advertising units.”

Looking to develop relationships with big brand retail chains, Nicalo said Donde also is targeting payments companies that are doing point-of-sale integrations where they’re seeing (and understanding) inventory data. Donde has, however, formed relationships with brands and digital marketers through an accelerator program, and it continues to build upon its paying customers.

To learn more about Donde and how it drives retail sales with its mobile store locator, listen to the full podcast by clicking below.

*If you have trouble with the audio player above, click here.

 Anthony Nicalo, Founder and CEO of Donde

Anthony is a serial entrepreneur, AMA-recognized marketing expert and alumnus of the University of Michigan. A former Michelin chef, his passion for helping consumers understand the origins of their food led him to working with Certified Humane. Their partnership formed the very first Donde locator.