The rise of mobile commerce Derek Eccleston, Research Director
M
obile and multichannel are becoming the buzz words for 2011. As we watch consumers truly embrace new technology, retailers are
desperately trying to catch up, developing apps, mobile sites and new multichannel collection points to help improve customer relations and satisfaction rates.
It is beyond all doubt that one of the biggest influencers of consumer behaviour in recent years has been the phenomenal growth and continued rise of mobile commerce. The explosion in popularity of smart devices has been hard to miss, especially for retailers, as mobile has continually played an increasingly important role in the way that people research, shop and browse. eDigitalResearch has tracked the growth in popularity with consumers and retailers alike.
Results show that over half of all consumers now have access to a smartphone device, having increased by a dramatic 20 percent since this time last year. This now presents a huge opportunity not to be missed by retailers.
Truly multichannel consumers now hold the power within the palm of their hands. eDigitalResearch has found that consumer behaviour is increasingly driven by circumstance and associated factors, such as budget, past experiences of brands and the urgency with which they need a product. No longer restricted to shopping via one channel, consumers are able to mix and match how they interact and dictate to retailers how they want to shop. For example, shoppers now may watch an advert on the television, research product specifications on a mobile, purchase online and arrange to pick up the goods in-store.
As with the birth of the internet over a decade ago, the dramatic increase in the mobile market is fundamentally changing consumer behaviour. We are witnessing the dawn of MEcommerce; a shopping revolution where the consumer now has the power to dictate to a retailer where, when and how they want to shop, firmly driving the changes afoot.
Our research overwhelmingly indicates that more and more shoppers are beginning to use their phones to shop and browse online. The latest eCustomerServiceIndex from eDigitalResearch and the IMRG surveyed 2,000 UK consumers and found that more than one third (34 percent) of smartphone owners are now using their smartphones to shop online for products, whilst another 35 percent intend to do so in the near future.
We are witnessing the dawn of MEcommerce; a shopping revolution where the consumer has the power to dictate to a retailer where, when and how they want to shop, firmly driving the changes afoot.
Similarly, just under half (48 percent) of smartphone owners have used their mobiles to browse and research products before a purchase, whilst another 16 percent intend to do so in the near future. For retailers, this establishes how essential having a mobile site and online presence really are. Those that are yet to make the jump into ecommerce and mcommerce are missing out on the opportunity to increase revenues, strengthen customer bonds and reach a wealth of potential new customers.
Interestingly, the same research study showed that 35 percent of people have used their phone whilst in-store to check and compare prices across retailers, whilst just over
continues on page 12 ecmod DIRECT COMMERCE YEAR BOOK 2011 10
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