(Aug. 20) Aisle411, a first-to-market service that will help shoppers find products on store shelves through their mobile phones, is launching Aug. 18 at an Ace Hardware store in Des Peres, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis.

Aisle411 is a voice recognition product location service. Shoppers can call a number, state their location and the store, ask for an item and then receive the location of the product over the phone and by text within seconds, the company said.

In addition, Aisle411 will offer coupons and other money-saving offers via text message that can be used immediately in that store.

According to research conducted by St. Louis-based Aisle411, nearly 84% of shoppers have some difficulty finding products on store shelves -- especially at hardware, sporting goods and big- box stores. More than 67% of shoppers say they would use this free service, particularly women in the 31 -to- 40 age group.

Further, more than 22% of shoppers give up while looking for hard-to-find items in a store, while another 56.6% ask an associate for help, creating a demand on staff time and attention, said Nathan Pettyjohn, Aisle411’s chairman and CEO.

“We’re using the latest in voice recognition technology to help these shoppers find what they need quickly and easily,” he said. “It saves time for shoppers and the retailer, and allows consumer product manufacturers to recapture sales that may not have happened otherwise.”

Aisle411 will also be able to provide retailers and manufacturers with information about customer- buying preferences, including what and when products are most often searched, the company said.