JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. is catering to mobile customers with the launch of a smartphone application offering store location and shopping functionality.

Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. is catering to mobile customers with the launch of a smartphone application offering store location and shopping functionality.

The Southeast supermarket chain said Monday that the smartphone app, a free download for the Apple iPhone and Android mobile devices, enables customes to find the closest Winn-Dixie location, view the weekly circular and what’s on sale at that store, and create and manage shopping lists that sync with their computers and can be shared with other users.

"Our customers are on-the-go more than ever and this new app will make their busy lives easier," Mary Kellmanson, Winn-Dixie’s group vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "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."

Winn-Dixie reported that according to the Wall Street Journal, e-commerce experts expect use of shopping apps to proliferate as more people buy smartphones and other mobile devices. PC Magazine said that 29.7% of U.S. mobile phone users already own a smartphone — the highest recorded figure to date — and a recent Accenture study found that nearly half of cell phone users plan to buy a smartphone in the next 12 months, according to the supermarket chain.

In addition, the Accenture study revealed that 69% of smartphone users are aware of smartphone applications from large retailers and 48 percent have downloaded at least one application; 90% of consumers who have downloaded an application from a large retailer found it "very useful" or "useful"; and 56% 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," commented Rich Tarrant, chief executive officer of MyWebGrocer, which developed the smartphone 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."

Winn-Dixie operates 484 supermarkets, including 379 in-store pharmacies, in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi.