Tag: mobile commerce news

The most common purpose for shopping over smartphones and tablets will be to locate stores.

At a time in which there are scores of holiday shopping forecasts are starting to be released, the consensus appears to be that mobile commerce is going to be one of the most critical components of this vital season, despite the fact that a growing number of consumers will be headed to actual stores in order to make their purchases.

This implies that m-commerce and in-store shopping will complement one another, this year.

This means that it is important for brick and mortar shops to focus on mobile commerce not as its competition, but as a complement to its own ability to make a sale. Smartphones and tablets are set to play a very important role in the complete process of both shopping and decision making. Consumers will use their devices regardless of the fact that they will still go to stores in order to buy what they want.

For this reason, mobile commerce isn’t necessarily an independent shopping channel but one that works with others.

That said, while shoppers are looking to their mobile devices to learn more about the products that they are considering, to compare prices, and to find the places that sell the item, they still often prefer the experience of going to the store and seeing the items in person before they buy them. They also like the opportunity to have the item that they have purchased in their hands, instead of having to wait for it to be delivered.

According to the 2014 holiday shopping study conducted by Deloitte, which included the participation of 5,000 American consumers, the average holiday spending this year will be $1,299, which represents an increase of 13 percent over last year. Among all U.S. consumers 72 percent will be using their smartphones for shopping purposes, though this does not mean online purchases, exclusively. The report on the mobile commerce survey showed that the devices would also be used for the following purposes:

• 58 percent – to find a store location
• 52 percent – to obtain and compare prices
• 48 percent – for browsing products online
• 47 percent – to obtain information about a product
• 44 percent – to read product reviews
• 41 percent – to check the availability of a product
• 41 percent – to obtain sale information, discounts, offers, and coupons
• 36 percent – to use social networks to discuss products
• 35 percent – to purchase a product or service online
• 32 percent – to receive text message based deals from retailers
• 31 percent – to scan barcodes such as QR codes to learn more about a product.

Even large companies are struggling to compete with Starbucks

In the past, mobile commerce has been considered something of a novelty, with several small companies offering services that would allow people to shop for and purchase products from with their mobile devices in stores and online. Now, large companies like Apple and Google are involved in the mobile commerce space, but they may not be finding the success that they had hoped to see in the field. Starbucks has come to dominate the mobile space and other companies may be struggling to keep up.

Majority of mobile transactions made in 2013 were done in Starbucks stores

Starbucks accounted for 90% of all mobile transactions made in the United States last year, according to the company’s CEO, Howard Schultz. According to Schultz, more than $1.3 billion in mobile payments were made during 2013, with the vast majority of these transactions taking place in Starbucks stores throughout the country. The company’s success in the mobile field last year is just the beginning, as Starbucks has plans to continue dominating mobile transactions.

Company plans to accelerate its mobile commerce plans

The company intends to accelerate its mobile commerce plans over the next few years, putting more emphasis on its mobile audience, but not sacrificing its traditional brick-and-mortar interests. Schultz notes that many consumers are beginning to migrate away from traditional forms of commerce, showing more favor for mobile services. In order to accommodate the changing behavior of consumers, Starbucks will be following suit.

New partnerships will help Starbucks remain dominant in the mobile field

Over the next few years, Starbucks plans to make careful, strategic partnerships that will further its mobile interests. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to begin offering its mobile payments technology to other companies, allowing them to engage mobile consumers more effectively. The company will also be highlighting the convenience of mobile payments in order to further its popularity among consumers with various types of mobile devices. Starbucks also has plans to enhance its My Starbucks Rewards program, providing more incentives for people to purchase products with their mobile devices.