Mobile shopping hits a new high
Mobile commerce has erupted during Thanksgiving and Black Friday, aligning with the expectations coming from many retailers throughout the U.S. and elsewhere. Branding Brands, a leading commerce firm representing some of the world’s top retailers, has issued a report concerning mobile sales, traffic, and general mobile activity during the year’s most active shopping days. The report notes that mobile sales showed astonishing growth this year over what they had been in 2012, providing strong encouragement for retailers that have invested heavily in mobile-centric endeavors.
Data shows that mobile traffic has grown rapidly
According to Branding Brands, mobile traffic to retail sites increased by 69% over what had been recorded during Thanksgiving and Black Friday of 2012. The data collected by Branding Brands suggests that smartphones were the most widely used mobile platform for shoppers this year. Approximately 32.56% of all e-commerce traffic to retail sites came from smartphones this year, with tablets following closely behind.
Mobile sales increase by 258%
Traffic is not the only aspect of mobile commerce that has been showing impressive growth during the holidays. According to Branding Brands, mobile sales have exploded thanks to the mobile initiatives launched by retailers. These initiatives were meant to capture the attention of mobile consumers, many of whom were expected to purchase products during Thanksgiving and Black Friday from their mobile devices rather than visit physical stores. Branding Brands’ data shows that mobile sales for 2013 have increase by 258% over what had been reported by retailers in 2012.
Adobe highlights growing interest in mobile commerce
Technology firm Adobe has also been monitoring mobile activity recently. The firm has collected data from more than 400 million online visits to over 2,000 retail sites throughout the U.S. This data shows that 24% of all online sales were made from a smartphone or tablet during Thanksgiving and Black Friday, a 118% increase over what sales had been in 2012.
Retail industry beginning to see an impact from mobile payments
The retail industry has come to a crossroad wherein it must discover the best way to engage consumers from around the world. Technology has played a major role in bringing the industry to this crossroad, especially as the Internet came to determine how successful many retailers would become in the future. The advent of mobile technology sparked evolution within the retail industry, and now the rise of mobile commerce is having the same effect. The future of the retail industry is beginning to look almost entirely dependent on mobile technology and retailers that shirk the mobile space may be setting themselves up to fail in the near future.
Retailers must focus more on mobile engagement
Mobile payments are quickly becoming more common around the world. Branding Brands CEO Christopher Mason notes that the retail industry is becoming more acclimated to the mobile space, largely due to the demands coming from consumers. Despite some interest from retailers, however, Mason suggests that most in the industry lack appropriate enthusiasm when it comes to mobile payments. Mason notes that of the 500 retailers in the world, only 40% have mobile consumer interfaces, which means many of these retailers are not providing an enjoyable experience to mobile consumer, who may soon determine the fate of these retail companies with the power held in their mobile wallets.
Wal-Mart takes note of the popularity of mobile devices
Wendy Bergh, senior director of mobile and digital strategy for Wal-Mart, notes that much of her focus in recent years has been on in-store experiences and how they can be improved through the use of mobile applications. Bergh suggests that applications are an ideal way to get consumers into physical stores, by offering these consumers discounts and services that are exclusive to physical stores and the applications used therein. Wal-Mart is currently developing a scanning application that will allow consumers to find products and purchase these products directly from their mobile device.
Mobile payments may soon dominate retail industry
Mobile payments may soon come to dictate the future of the retail industry. Consumers have shown some reluctance in participating in mobile commerce, largely due to security concerns. Many of the concerns that consumers have, however, are being addressed through the development of new mobile payments services that are more secure than their predecessors. As mobile commerce becomes more secure, it is becoming increasingly likely that consumers will favor mobile payments over traditional forms of commerce.
