Survey shows that more people are using their mobile devices when shopping
Retailers may need to become more mobile-centric, as consumers begin relying more heavily on their smartphones when they shop. SessionM, a mobile loyalty company, recently released the results of a survey of 12,000 randomly selected smartphone users in the United States, questioning them about their mobile shopping behavior. According to the survey, 85% of respondents said that they were quite involved in mobile commerce, with many suggesting that their mobile commerce activity increased over what it had been over a year ago.
Mobile shopping activity is on the rise among smartphone users
The survey shows that approximately 15% of respondents said that their mobile shopping had increased significantly. Of those interested in mobile commerce, security and poor user experiences were cited as major barriers that are prohibiting the further growth of e-commerce and mobile shopping. Notably, more than 90% of consumers noted that they made a purchase with their mobile device in the past 90 days. The vast majority of these consumers, approximately 73%, said that they made a mobile purchase in a physical store.
Many consumers use their devices to compare prices and research products they are interested in
When it comes to using a smartphone in a physical store, 54% of consumers used their devices to compare prices on products that they were interested in. Another 48% used their smartphones to look up product information, with 42% using their devices to check product reviews online. Notably, many people used their smartphones to look for special deals, such as coupons, and any loyalty programs that they could take advantage of.
Retailers have new opportunities to engage mobile consumers
Because of the large number of consumers that have begun to rely on their smartphones to shop, retailers have new opportunities waiting for them in terms of marketing. Loyalty programs are, perhaps, the most promising opportunities facing retailers. These programs provide consumers with rewards for their loyalty, and shoppers have shown particular interest in these programs as they can lead to money saving opportunities and access to special deals.
NFC technology is one of the staples of mobile payments, but relatively few retailers have yet to embrace the technology. There are few NFC-enabled point-of-sale systems, which has limited the growth of mobile payments in physical stores. This is why Samsung Pay’s magnetic secure transmission may be a boon, as it will allow the platform to work with conventional point-of-sale systems in order to make mobile payments possible.