Tag: mobile sector

Groupon continues expansion into mobile commerce sector

| November 14, 2013

Mobile commerce has become a major interest for Groupon

Daily deals provider Groupon has been showing a strong interest in mobile commerce recently. The company specializes in providing consumers with special offers that come from retailers, restaurants, and other such businesses. The deals and coupons are meant to entice consumers, but Groupon had primarily been focused on those using stationary computers in the past. As mobile commerce becomes a more prominent part of society, the company is beginning to put more focus on the mobile sector.

Groupon acquires Ticket Monster

Groupon has been making an effort to establish a strong presence in the competitive mobile commerce field in recent months. The company has now made a bold move on this front with its acquisition of South Korea’s Ticket Monster, which is a daily deals provider similar to Groupon. Ticket Monster represents more than $800 million in annualized billings, much of which comes from mobile commerce. South Korea has become a hub of activity as far as mobile commerce is concerned, largely due to the high smartphone penetration seen throughout the country. The experience that Ticket Monster has gleaned in the market may help Groupon develop a stronger foothold in the mobile sector.

Consumers are becoming more mobile

Mobile Commerce - Groupon ExpandingE-commerce remains a strong interest with many consumers, but more people are opting to shop via their mobile devices rather than stationary computers. Smartphones and tablets allow for a more convenient shopping experience, especially for those that travel frequently. Even those that do not travel are beginning to use their mobile devices to shop rather than visit physical stores. It is for this reason that retailers are beginning to take mobile commerce more seriously, with some going so far as to develop their own mobile payments platforms.

Competition in high in the mobile commerce space

Groupon may confront difficulty with its plans to expand into the mobile sector. Mobile commerce is awash with a wide variety of start-ups that are seeking to gain the attention of consumers. Several large technology, telecommunications, and financial service firms have also entered into the mobile commerce arena, increasing the competition that exists within this sector significantly.

Retailers must understand technology to capitalize on mobile commerce

| October 11, 2013

Mobile commerce may be more about technology for retailers

Mobile technology has begun to change the way consumers participate in retail and commerce as well as how they interact with one another and the world around them. As such, businesses have been forced to adapt to the changing interests of consumers and embrace mobile engagement strategies and focus more heavily on mobile commerce. Gartner analysts suggest that a focus on mobile commerce is beneficial for retailers, but companies should prioritize their use of mobile technology over commerce initiatives in order to optimize revenue generation.

Embracing technology could help boost revenue

Many technology firms around the world have taken a strong interest in mobile commerce. These firms are offering mobile commerce services to retailers and marketing these services as ways to boost revenue by engaging mobile consumers. Gartner analysts suggest that these services may have little impact on revenue if retailers themselves do not become more accommodating to mobile technology. Optimizing websites so they can be easily viewed on mobile devices and providing consumers with ways to find information with their smartphones and tablets while in physical stores is considered more important than actually having a mobile commerce platform.

Mobile Commerce - RetailersRetailers have high hopes for mobile commerce

A recent Gartner survey suggests that the world’s leading retailers have high hopes for the mobile space as well as e-commerce. The survey shows that retailers expect the majority of their sales to continue coming from physical stores, but 14.6% will come from e-commerce and 6.5% will come from mobile commerce by 2017. If retailers do not focus more on accommodating mobile technology, however, they may miss out on potential revenue from consumers eager to spend money through their mobile devices.

Mobile sector continues to evolve

Return on investment can be a tricky subject in the world of mobile commerce. There are a wide range of platforms available to consumers, but none of these have yet established themselves as a leader. Moreover, mobile commerce itself is continuing to evolve. The sector is moving away from NFC technology, which has formed its backbone for the past few years. As mobile commerce changes, ways to generate revenue through this sector are becoming somewhat vague.