Tag: mobile commerce

Australian mobile commerce trends are falling behind says PayPal

| September 27, 2016

According to the results of a recent analysis, businesses in Australia aren’t keeping up with consumer device use.

PayPal Australia released a report that said Australian mobile commerce is lacking. It stated that businesses simply aren’t keeping up with the way consumers are using their smartphones. This includes many of the different ways in which consumers regularly use their devices.

Mobile device uses analyzed by PayPal for the report included everything from researching a brand to mobile payments.

PayPal released its Australian mobile commerce report as a part of its first ever mCommerce Index. This report will be issued biannually. It will look into the trends in smartphone based shopping and payments within the country.

Australian Mobile Commerce Falling BehindAmong the central report findings was that even though 71 percent of consumers in Australia are using their smartphones to make payments, only 49 percent of companies have mobile optimized.

According to the report, all businesses in the country could benefit from mobile commerce optimization.

Libby Roy, the managing director at PayPal Australia, explained that each business has its own mobile commerce level needs. However, Roy also underscored the fact that all businesses are able to benefit from it in one way or another. “What’s clear is that there are a lot of consumers that are very comfortable using mobile, and businesses need to get on board.”

Roy explained that everything from having an app to simply having a social media presence is important. It is up to businesses to understand the ways in which they can benefit their customers through mobile commerce. This simultaneously allows them to determine how they can grow their own success.

The report indicated that one in three Australians were making weekly mobile payments. One in ten Australians spend over $1,000 per month using smartphone based transactions. On average Australians are using their mobile devices to make $330 in purchases on a monthly basis. And yet, Australian mobile commerce offerings are not keeping up with that consumer shopping trend. What makes the mobile shopping trend a challenge to measure is that consumers use mobile and non-mobile business interactions in combinations with each other before completing a final transaction.

Target mobile rewards pilot launched in 4 cities

| September 14, 2016

The giant retail chain is testing the new smartphone based program following the release of its Cartwheel app.

The Cartwheel app first debuted three years ago and now Target mobile rewards appear to be the next step. In the company’s ongoing effort to promote a better m-commerce experience, a pilot program is underway in locations in four cities.

The Minneapolis based retailer is testing the new mobile commerce feature in four stores.

There will be 126 stores with the new Cartwheel Perks Target mobile rewards program. This is the largest update the company’s mobile app has ever experienced. If it proves to be successful, it may experience a nationwide rollout. The current version of the mobile app makes it possible for customers to find product deals on their smartphones. Then, when they reach the checkout counter, they can apply the savings and pay less for their purchases.

Target Mobile Rewards - Target Shopping CartsThere have already been 27 million people who have signed up for the mobile commerce app and its benefits. There are discounts available for up to 700 Target products with this application. Since it was first introduced, Cartwheel has generated a total saving of about $600 million for Target customer purchases.

Now the retailer is testing to see if the Target mobile rewards program can be equally successful.

The pilot for the mobile shopping rewards program is running at the stores located in Houston, San Diego, Denver and St. Louis. The feature is available to customers who update their mobile app to the latest version of Cartwheel. The program makes it possible for customers to collect rewards that can be redeemed for merchandise. Reward merchandise ranges from $10 to $20 in value. They can include free laundry detergent, sunglasses, athletic apparel and other items.

Customers use Cartwheel Perks to collect 10 points each time they spend a dollar at Target. Exceptions include gift cards and CVS pharmacy purchases. The first redemption level is at 5,000 points, at which time they can select from among 25 possible reward items.

A spokesperson for the company, Eddie Baeb, explained that “We’ll continue to test it and see how guests respond.” He explained that the Target mobile rewards program may one day extend to other stores and possibly to online purchases, too.