Category: Mobile Marketing

The results of a new survey have just been released and have shown that people don’t necessarily go out to buy.

PriceGrabber has just released the results of a mobile commerce survey that they conducted on the topic of back to school and which has provided some insight into consumer behaviors for making that type of purchase.

The research examined everything from where parents look for deals and what experience they enjoy most.

For example, the Pricegrabber survey indicated that mobile commerce is playing a very important role in back to school shopping this year. Sixty seven percent of the shoppers who took part in the survey indicated that they checked prices online before heading out to buy. Moreover, another 47 percent receive discount coupons over their smartphones via text message. Another 47 percent read emails containing discount offers while they are in-store.

Forty two percent of the survey participants use mobile commerce to make a purchase.

As fascinating and helpful as that mobile commerce data may be, there was one element of the survey that drew a larger amount of attention. There were 1,937 American shoppers who took part in this research by giving their opinions and sharing details regarding their shopping behaviors. What was interesting is that many of the smartphones and tablets were used from home either to make the purchase, or to research before heading out in the first place.

There is a large concern being expressed by owners of brick and mortar stores. This was that 46 percent of consumers with smartphones will use those shops as a “showroom”, so that they can see the product in real life, but then use mobile commerce to try to find a better price for the same product, somewhere else. This means that while they may window shop in store, they are actually buying while they’re online.

That said, the survey has indicated that those stores don’t need to worry about this threat from mobile commerce, as only 17 percent are actually using the devices while in store. This means that only a fraction of them are actually practicing showrooming and, among them, there is likely only to be an insignificant few who will find the product with a price and shipping total that will be low enough to make it worthwhile to wait to have it delivered instead of picking it up while they’re already there.

The world’s largest retail company is accepting many types of electronics in advance of the next iPhone.

In anticipation of the next iPhone, which most rumors are suggesting will be in September 2013, Walmart has launched an electronics exchange program called Gadgets to Gift Cards, in which old devices can be traded in for money to be spent in the store.

The retailer isn’t excepting exclusively smartphones, but a number of different kinds of devices, as well.

Its American locations are allowing for smartphones, MP3 players, video games cameras, computers, and many other different kinds of electronics, as a part of its Gadgets for Gift Cards program. There is no set gift card size that is being issued for all devices. Instead, the customer has to use the official website of the retailer in order to identify the electronic device and its condition in order to receive a quote.

If the gift card offer is accepted, the gadget can then be mailed – with free shipping – in trade for the amount.

Though it is unlikely that the gift card amount will equal the top price that could be obtained elsewhere for the gadgets, according to Walmart, receiving something that easily for a device that is no longer wanted is far better than leaving it to collect dust at home. This way, something can essentially be obtained for nothing.

The process is as follows: the customer heads to the Walmart.com website and clicks the button to use the Gadgets for Gift Cards program. He or she can enter the type of electronic device and the state of its condition so that a quote can be issued in a matter of seconds. If the quote is accepted by the customer, he or she will be issued a unique code.

From that time a credit check will be performed on the customer. Once approved, that individual has ten days in which to mail the device to Walmart using a free shipping label. It is important for customers taking part in the program to be prompt when they ship the gadgets back to the company, because missing the deadline will decrease the value of the gift card amount.

When the gadgets are received and their condition is verified by Walmart, the code can then be used either online or at any of the physical Walmart store locations across the United States so that its amount can be applied against a purchase.