According to Tech 21, 50% of consumers would rather leave home without their wallet than without their phone. And it’s not surprising when we consider what mobile devices are now capable of. We can browse online stores, compare prices and make purchases online all via our phones. We can even pay for smaller items physically in-store using methods such as Apple pay.
And “With mobile device sales forecasted to increase by 85% in Europe (whilst desktop sales dawdle in comparison at just 11%),” (from Mobile shopping report) it’s a retail opportunity that is only set to grow.
But mobile investment costs can be high – and for companies having spent the last few years investing heavily in desktop stores it can be a tricky sell to internal stakeholders. According to the Mobile Shopping Report, “just 40% of retailers have invested in an optimized mobile site.”
We read the 2015 mobile shopping report, and have pulled out four key areas of focus from it:
- Mobile Device Growth
The first is the huge growth potential in the sales of mobile and tablet devices; so much so that the question is not whether to build an optimized shopping experience for touch-screen devices, but how to. However, the report is quick to remind us that producing a seamless, personalized, cross-channel, and cross-device experience that is consistent along all customer missions is no mean feat.
- Customer Insight and Analytics
There are huge benefits to be reaped from customer insights and analytics. The sheer amount of data available makes mobile investment a top priority. Integrating customer information from all channels into one place will lead to much more effective personalization during acquisition and retention campaigns.
- The advent of more new technology, e.g. wearables
Mobile-enabled multichannel technology based on 2nd screen, wearables and a host of other advancements. Many forward thinking brands are keen to discover how such technology can be used to deliver ROI.
- Personalization and Location
However brands choose to venture or expand into the mobile environment, it’s clear they need to work hard to match and then supercede customer expectations. As consumers become more digitally connected and savvy, they expect their favorite retailers to provide highly relevant and personalized experiences — especially while they’re shopping in stores. In fact, 51% of consumers said they would use location-based coupons in stores. Nearly half (45%) would use location-based shopping maps in the store, and 41% would use location-based associate assistance.