UK retailers are falling behind when it comes to mobile commerce and consumer engagement

Mobile consumers are not getting enough attention from UK retailers

As consumers in the United Kingdom become more interested in mobile shopping, retailers may be falling behind in their ability to accommodate this change in consumer behavior. A new report from Skava highlights this fact, showing that many of the country’s top retailers are not effectively engaging mobile consumers. This is largely due to the fact that these retailers have not optimized themselves for the mobile world. Their websites, including e-commerce gateways, are not suited for use on mobile devices, which makes them somewhat unattractive to mobile consumers and lowers their performance in mobile commerce.

Many top retailers are not optimized for the mobile space

According to the report, 24% of the United Kingdom’s top 100 retailers are not mobile optimized. These retailers are finding it difficult to engage a mobile audience that is becoming larger and more influential by the day. The mobile space now accounts for 20% of all e-commerce traffic, but retailers that are not optimized for mobile are missing out on this traffic and potential sales. For many retailers, whether mobile commerce has any importance is a matter of debate, with some of the largest retailers suggesting that the mobile space is nothing more than a passing novelty.

Argos finds success in embracing mobile consumers

Argos, one of the United Kingdom’s leading retailers, generated nearly $800 million in mobile sales in 2013. The retailer has been seeing a steady rise in mobile commerce sales over the past few years and have begun to engage mobile consumers more aggressively as a result. The retailer has taken steps to ensure that it its mobile friendly, changing its website and e-commerce services to be more accommodating to smartphones and tablets.

Poor mobile services leave consumers with a sour experience

Poorly designed mobile commerce services have a negative effect on consumers when it comes to the mobile shopping experience. A poor experience can prevent a consumer from making use of a particular service in the future or simply make it impossible for people to actually pay for products that they are interested in when shopping online.