Tag: retail industry

Black Friday a major success for mobile commerce

| November 26, 2012

 

Black Friday proves to be a pivotal day for mobile and e-commerce

Black Friday has passed and Mobile Commerce Black Fridaywas a resounding success for  the retail industry, especially where e-commerce is concerned. comScore. a leading business analytics firm, had predicted that Black Friday would be a major success for retailers that embraced mobile consumers, largely due to the growing popularity of mobile commerce. The firm has released a new report concerning the online sales that occurred on Black Friday. The report documents the performance of e-commerce and shows the economic promise that mobile commerce represents.

Report shows online sales surpass $1 billion

According to the report, e-commerce sales on Black Friday surpassed $1 billion in the U.S. The feat is largely being attributed to the willingness of consumers to participate in mobile commerce. While physical stores saw a great deal of traffic, online platforms did as well. Many consumers took to e-commerce as a way to avoid crowds, while others did so to get the best deals they could find. comScore notes that the performance of this year’s Black Friday is an overall increase of 26% from last year’s Black Friday.

Millions of consumers rely on online platforms for shopping

More than 57 million consumers visited e-commerce sites and made use of mobile commerce platforms. The majority of these consumers flocked to Amazon, where they were able to find an assortment of deals on products they wanted. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, and Apple also saw a great deal of digital traffic on Black Friday. comScore notes that the fastest growing category of sales this holiday season has been digital content and subscription, as well as toys and consumers packaged goods. The comScore report shows that apparel and accessories were sold the most online during Black Friday, with computer hardware following closely behind.

Black Friday may add more momentum to mobile commerce

Black Friday was expected to be a time when mobile commerce would prove how viable it could be over traditional forms of commerce. The comScore report suggests that this has been accomplished, as both e-commerce and mobile commerce platforms were able to perform well for consumers. The success of Black Friday may encourage retailers to invest more heavily in mobile commerce in the future.

BI Intelligence report shows retailers getting aggressive with mobile consumers

| November 22, 2012

 

mobile consumers reportBI Intelligence releases new report concerning retail industry and mobile consumers

As consumers become more reliant on their mobile devices, retailers are looking for new ways to engage these people. Mobile commerce is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to engage mobile consumers, largely because of the interest these consumers have for making purchases through their mobile device. A recent report from BI Intelligence, a research group associated with Business Insider, examines the ways retailers are working to engage mobile consumers through commerce and other initiatives.

Retailers looking for new ways to engage consumers

The advent of mobile technology has lead to a shift in the way consumers shop and pay for products. For instance, a practice known as “showrooming” allows consumers to use their smart phones to find products they are interested in while avoiding mark-ups from retailers. Typically, consumers can find better deals throughout online e-commerce platforms than from traditional retail stores, which presents a particularly problem for retailers still working to attract consumers to physical stores.

Mobile commerce growing in US and Europe

According to the BI Intelligence report, 29% of all U.S. mobile consumers already use their mobile device to participate in mobile commerce. This trend is expected to continue and spread to Europe through 2015, creating a promising opportunity for retailers to engage a wide audience. The report also notes that location targeting and mobile marketing efforts are becoming ideal ways for retailers to engage consumers in a way they are becoming increasingly responsive to.

Gamification quickly becoming a powerful tool for retailers

Gamification is a relatively new trend that is emerging in the retail industry, according to the BI Intelligence report. This is the practice of introducing game elements into shopping, marketing, and other fields of retail. Through gamification, retailers can make mundane tasks seem more exciting by providing consumers with rewards for completing these tasks. BI Intelligence suggests that gamification may be an effective way to ensure the loyalty of mobile consumers.