Mobile commerce will be key for holiday season
The holiday season is rapi
dly approaching and that has major implications for the retail industry. Retailers are preparing for the busiest and most important time of year, in terms of business, and have targeted mobile consumers as a key demographic. More consumers around the world are becoming reliant on their mobile devices for shopping and daily activities. As such, these consumers present a promising opportunity for retailers looking to establish a constant level of engagement. Thus, the retail industry is growing more interested in mobile commerce and how it can be used to enthrall consumers during the holiday season.
New survey shows mobile penetration is high in the US
According to a new survey from Pew Internet, a leading non-profit research firm, shows that mobile device penetration has grown at a rapid pace. The survey suggests that 88% of all American adults now have a cell phone of some kind, with 63% of these people using their device to wirelessly connect to the Internet. With so many people relying on their mobile devices to connect to the Internet, retailers have seen an opportunity to establish a constant connection with these people. Many retailers believe that mobile commerce initiatives will entice these consumers to make purchases through their mobile devices.
Mobile commerce still unfamiliar for many people
Though many consumers have shown interest in mobile commerce, initiatives designed to get them to spend money through their mobile devices have had trouble getting any attention in the past. Mobile commerce is still a new and unfamiliar concept to many. It also comes with its own security issues, which could put the financial information of consumers at risk of exploitation. Moreover, some mobile commerce services rely on NFC technology, which is limited in terms of availability.
Successful mobile commerce initiatives could net major gains
Despite some of the problems mobile commerce faces, the retail industry is still keen to leverage this concept in an effort to engage mobile consumers. Those that can successfully attract the attention of these consumers may find that many of these people are willing to pay a lot of money to get what they want.
hat is good news for retailers. Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the biggest holidays for the retail industry because these are days in which these companies see the most traffic, both digital and physical. Retailers have been seeing a growing trend amongst consumers that suggests that mobile commerce is becoming a popular way to purchase products. Wal-Mart, one of the world’s largest retail companies, notes that this interest in mobile commerce is gaining a massive amount of momentum amongst consumers and may have a significant presence during the 2012 holiday season.