Category: Mobile Commerce

Mobile commerce experiencing strong growth in retail

IBM has issued a new report concerning the growth of mobile commerce in the retail sector. The report — “Online Retail Index” — shows that mobile commerce has been growing in popularity among mobile consumers that favor their smartphones and devices over traditional means of shopping. Many of these consumers have become very comfortable with the concept of shopping online but are becoming less likely to remain tethered to stationary computers while doing so. Mobile technology has allowed these tech-savvy consumers to shop wherever they are, enabling them to shop more frequently and, in some cases, spend more money.

Tablets contributing to expansion of mobile shopping

According to the IBM report, mobile commerce grew by 31% in the first quarter of this year, up from where it had been in the same period of 2012. The report notes that growing tablet use is a major contributing factor to the growth mobile commerce is experiencing. Many consumers consider tablets to be convenient mobile shopping platforms. Larger screens offer better functionality with conventional e-commerce sites, making these sites easier to navigate removing some of the problems consumers have had with purchasing products.

Online sales are becoming increasingly mobile

The report indicates that mobile commerce now accounts for 17.4% of all online retail sales. This is expected to grow in the future as more consumers become acclimated to the concept of mobile shopping and purchasing products with nothing more than their smartphones or tablets. IBM predicts that growth will be sustained by retailers’ ability to provide consumers with a positive shopping experience and their ability to cater to tablet users.

Interactive technologies help attract consumers to mobile commerce

The IBM report notes that the use of interactive technologies, such as augmented reality and QR codes, has helped boost the adoption of mobile commerce. These technologies have been able to engage consumers in a new and dynamic way, encouraging them to make purchases of products that they are most interested in. In the case of QR codes, consumers have been able to make use of retailer discounts at a higher frequency, as long as they purchase products from a mobile device.

This important market has shown itself to be especially open to using smartphones to shop.

When it comes to being able to balance a very busy schedule, moms have added a secret weapon to their arsenal to get the job done, as they have become some of the broadest adopters of m-commerce.

Alliance Data Retail Services has just released their latest data which has supported this already identified trend.

The marketing driven credit card program provider recently conducted a survey and has now released its results. They have shown that moms are now, more than ever, using m-commerce to help to be able to shop more efficiently in order to be able to keep up with their busy lives. They also pointed out that this demographic is also using the devices for a number of other purposes for convenience, including texting, talking, and tagging.

The study was called the Alliance Data Mobile Moms Retail Survey and revealed considerable m-commerce insight.

It discovered that when moms are prepared to do a lot of shopping, they will frequently do so over m-commerce as opposed to having to drive to a store or mall to make a purchase. Among the respondents, 29 percent of moms stated that the primary reason that they chose their smartphones for shopping was due to the speed and ease of the process.

It has long been known that moms are the primary purchasing decision makers of a household. This includes virtually every category, from clothing to groceries and household products. Now that they are incorporating m-commerce and other mobile functions into their daily lives, it becomes important for merchants to take this channel into account in order to continue to appeal to this massively important demographic.

When it comes to the various m-commerce activities being used by moms, it includes searching for promotions and coupons, performing price comparisons, and browsing the websites of their favorite retailers. The survey also revealed that among moms who do use this channel to shop, they do so at least one time every week as a part of their overall shopping experience in some way or another.