January 12, 2012, Glendale, CA – Mobile searches for nearby restaurants multiplied by the millions in 2011, with pizza, Chinese and American cuisine topping the list, according to activity on AT&T Interactive's YP(SM) app.
Restaurants were the most frequently searched item on the free app, doubling over 2010 levels. The hunger for everything from sushi to pizza was heard loud and clear. The latest YP(SM) app, part of the YPmobile suite of products developed by AT&T Interactive, delivers a rich local search experience for foodies, including in-app access to menus for over 300,000 restaurants.
"AT&T Interactive believes the mobile local search experience needs to extend beyond providing users with a list of business names, addresses and phone numbers. The exciting opportunity in front of us is to continue building apps that actively facilitate decision-making," said David Williams, vice-president of product management at AT&T Interactive.
"Consumers need to be able to quickly choose a merchant based on what's most important to them, connect by phone, online or in person and transact. The mobile device is very personal and over time our local apps will increasingly shorten the time and effort needed to get from inspiration to satisfaction. Consumers will find and buy what they need from merchants in their local community within one seamless experience."
New features on the YP(SM) app thathelp users quickly explore what's cooking nearby include:
- Quick access to menus from over 300,000 restaurants across the United States before deciding where to go.
- The ability to pinpoint your search based on distance, cuisine, price range, ambiance and whether they're offering a coupon or discount in a single view. The app even calls out how many nearby options there are in popular restaurant categories so you know if pickings are slim or if there's a local favorite cuisine to try.
- Buying and redeeming deal of the day offers for tasty savings on food, drink and other popular goods and services.
Other features to nibble on when deciding where to eat include:
- Browsing thousands of coupons and discounts and saving them to "My Stuff." The YP(SM) app alerts users automatically before their coupons and discounts expire.
- A gas prices feature offering a convenient view of the nearest and cheapest gas options.
- A quick ratings feature designed to make it easy to add and check other users' opinions about a restaurant without having to read through full reviews.
- A homepage that can be configured to tell you where the nearest coffee shop is without having to search.
The updated YP(SM) app is currently available for free download in select mobile app marketplaces.
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