Branding Brand survey shows mobile commerce performance on Black Friday
Branding Brand, a leading mobil
e commerce platform used within the retail industry, has announced the results of its Mobile Commerce Index for Black Friday survey. The survey is meant to highlight the performance of mobile commerce amongst consumers on the most important day of the year for the retail industry: Black Friday. The survey shows that mobile commerce was largely successful in boosting the mobile sales within the retail industry by a significant margin.
Mobile sales up 128%
The survey accounts for 66 mobile sites developed by Branding Brand for retailers participating in mobile commerce. These retailers span a wide variety of industries and has shown a great deal of interest in engaging mobile consumers, identifying these consumers as a major opportunity for growth. The survey shows that mobile sales on Black Friday grew by 128% over what they had been in the previous year. Mobile traffic also grew by 101% over the level they had been in 2011.
Most consumers used iOS devices for mobile commerce
Branding Brand suggests that mobile commerce has played a major role in this year’s holiday season, as far as the retail industry is concerned. The survey shows that most consumers made use of iOS devices to access e-commerce sites. Android devices, especially those equipped with NFC technology, were still used and were largely responsible for purchases made within physical stores from an actual mobile device. The iOS platform does not currently support NFC technology.
Retailers may be inclined to support mobile commerce
Mobile commerce had been expected to play a significant role for the retail industry during Black Friday. Branding Brand suggests that this is the case and that the retail industry has now been shown evidence of the capabilities of mobile commerce. With Black Friday leaving many retailers in a positive financial position for the remained of the fiscal year, they may be inclined to invest more support into mobile commerce for the future.
E-commerce and mobile commerce expected to see major growth during holiday season
E-commerce is set to see major growth in the wake of the 2012 holiday season. The growth of e-commerce is due to many factors, such as the expansion of mobile commerce services, early online deals, rising ownership of mobile devices, and free shipping offers becoming more common. More consumers are relying on their mobile devices for shopping and research. As such, e-commerce platforms and sites are expected to see a significant amount of traffic that could show just how viable mobile commerce really is.
ComScore predicts promising results for e-commerce
According to ComScore, an international analytics firm, online sales are expected to grow by as much as 18% in the U.S. during the 2012 holiday season. Last year, e-commerce broke spending records for the holiday season by accounting for $37.2 billion in sales, according to the firm. This trend is expected to become more pronounced this year due to the lengths many retailers have gone to cater to mobile consumers and provide them with the services they need.
Wal-Mart and others continue catering to mobile consumers
Wal-Mart is one such retailer. The company is expecting to see more than 600 million online visitors during the holiday season, a 13% increase from the traffic it saw last year. The retailers has adopted a strong mobile commerce focus, hoping to appeal to tech-savvy consumers that rely heavily on their mobile devices for shopping and product research. Wal-Mart is also among the many retail companies that are offering special offers earlier than normal, hoping to get a jump start on Black Friday, the most important day of the year for the U.S. retail industry.
2012 holiday season may prove how powerful mobile commerce can be
E-commerce is not expected to diminish in the wake of the holiday season. As retailers see major gains through their mobile commerce initiatives, they are expected to through more support behind platforms that cater to mobile consumers. Indeed, the 2012 holiday season may mark a tipping point for mobile commerce, and e-commerce in general, as retailers and other see just how powerful mobile engagement can actually be in terms of business.
