Live it and love it at the mall

The Mall at University Town Center in Sarasota, which opened in October, is the test site for a new personalized smartphone shopping app with unique indoor navigation technology.

The free app, from the mall's co-developer, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Taubman Centers, is designed to make it easier for users to find stores, styles and sales. The app, according to a release, remembers a user's favorite stores and offers personalized maps and promotions through Bluetooth technology. The app debuted at the Mall at UTC in late December, and Taubman plans to introduce it in more than 15 other malls nationwide throughout the year.

“Our new mobile app changes the shopping experience, bringing mall navigation and personalization to the forefront like never before,” Taubman Director of Digital Marketing Ivan Frank says in the statement. “Taubman is pleased to be the leader in bringing this technology to shoppers to enhance their in-mall experience.”