New-age consumers
Shop on mobile devices
Yield to the shoppers
by Tim Aaron
Aurnhammer Philosopher and Social Media Strategist
In a world where 43% of smartphone users would rather give up the pleasure of drinking beer than relinquish the use of their mobile devices (holiday cheers to the 57%), you might infer that mobile has penetrated pretty deeply into the hearts and souls of many.[1] With knowledge of this silly yet compelling statistic, you might also infer that people who use such coveted devices do not stick to the calling and texting functions alone. Now, let me stop here because you’re absolutely correct. People are smitten with their smartphones and use them at just about every chance they can. From looking up addresses and reading emails to playing with apps and downloading videos, smartphone users employ their mobile devices constantly, both for their practical applications as well as for their entertainment value. And with capabilities that allow for shopping, users have channeled much of their purchasing energy into activity on their mobile gadgets. With ten online shopping days that surpassed a billion dollars in spending during the holiday season of 2011, including Cyber Monday, Green Monday, and Free Ship Day, it is clear that users are not shy to break out their devices to fulfill their consumer desires. So now, realizing that the term “shop ‘til you drop” may one-day fade into antiquity because of the decrease in pedestrian shopping, let’s take a look at how mobile has penetrated into the minds of those who determine the duration and success of brands’ empires, namely, the consumers.
When it comes to purchasing items, consumers like to be informed. What with all the product-recall stories that fill the news, coupled with the countless number of shoddily made and overly priced items on the market, consumers want more than the simple ability to purchase items from their mobile devices. They want access to comprehensive product information, price comparisons, product reviews, and more. Using their smartphones at many points along their purchasing paths, a collaborative study conducted by Google, through research think-tank, Ipsos, shows that 70% of smartphone users employ their devices in order to read product reviews, 61% to compare prices, 61%, yet again, to compare product information, 53% to search a store’s inventory, and 46% to look for discounts and promotions. And this is only the information-gathering end of it. With regards to actually purchasing items, research shows that 67% of smartphone users research on their devices and then purchase in store, 23% research on their devices, visit a store, and then purchase online, 16% research on their devices, visit a store, and then purchase on their devices, and 9% visit a store, and then purchase on their devices. [2] So what is to be taken away from all of this?
Clearly, the trend towards pixel-and-layout is competing with what brick-and-mortar can provide. So if you or a loved one would like your storeroom to truly be at fingertips of the 74% of mobile shoppers that report to have made a purchase as a result of using their mobile device, join and exceed the herd by extending a user-friendly and enjoyable mobile presence. [3] When it comes to customer acquisition, it’s not just the 1% that matters.
Now that you have some food for thought, let us know what YOU think about mobile’s impact on retail. Only through collaborative discussion will we advance knowledge and achieve enlightenment.