There's an App for that. Winn-Dixie's new smartphone app.

Winn-Dixie has launched a smartphone application that will help customers find their closest Winn-Dixie, allow them to view the weekly circular and sales for that specific store, and create and manage shopping lists that both sync with computers and can be shared with other users. The easy-to-use app for Apple’s iPhone and Android smart phones is available as a free download through Apple Inc.’s iTunes, the Android Market or through links on Winn-Dixie’s website at http://www.winndixie.com/Mobile/apps.

“Our customers are on-the-go more than ever and this new app will make their busy lives easier,” said Mary Kellmanson, Winn-Dixie group vice president of marketing. “Using the new app in the store, you can check off items as you place them in your cart, so you’ll never miss an item on your list. And you’ll always be organized – no more paper lists stuffed in pockets or purses or left at home or in the car.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, e-commerce experts expect use of shopping apps like the one being introduced by Winn-Dixie to mushroom as more Americans purchase smartphones. PC Magazine reports that 29.7 percent of U.S. mobile phone users already own a smartphone, the highest recorded figure to date. A recent study by Accenture shows nearly half of conventional cell phone users plan to buy a smartphone in the next 12 months. The Accenture study also found:

69 percent of smartphone users are aware of smartphone applications from large retailers and 48 percent have downloaded at least one application;

90 percent of consumers who have downloaded an application from a large retailer found it “very useful” or “useful;”

56 percent believe smartphones will make the shopping experience more enjoyable.

“Our goal is to help our clients engage with their customers where ever they are in the digital space,” said MyWebGrocer CEO Rich Tarrant, CEO of MyWebGrocer, which developed the app for Winn-Dixie. “The growing popularity of the iPhone and Android phones shows that Winn-Dixie’s mobile strategy for multiple platforms makes a lot of sense.”