Wal-Mart has high hopes for mobile commerce
Wal-Mart is already considered the world’s largest retailer, but the company is eager to solidify its place as such by providing services that it claims no other retailer will be able to match. The retailer has plans to combine its 10,000 stores and 10 global e-commerce websites in order to develop a new platform that the company believes is more suitable for the modern consumer. The initiative is meant to make Wal-Mart the most powerful online retailer in the world and mobile commerce may be able to help the company achieve this goal.
Consumers begin to favor mobile commerce over traditional commerce
Mobile commerce has grown to become a very attractive concept throughout the world. The idea that a mobile devices, whether it be a smartphone or tablet, can be used to purchase goods or pay for services has become very alluring to consumers. This idea means that these people would not have to worry about physical currencies and could make a purchase with little more than a wave of their device or a tap of their finger. The convenience of mobile commerce is one of its most attractive features, especially to those that rely heavily on their mobile devices, and Wal-Mart believes that mobile commerce could help it dominate the online world.
Retailer to launch new initiative this summer
Wal-Mart has announced a plan to launch a pilot project this summer. This project involves allowing consumers to purchase products online and retrieve these products from lockers in physical Wal-Mart stores. This is similar to an initiative that was launched by Wal-Mart’s primary competitor, Amazon, where the online retailer would deliver purchased products to stores so that they could be picked up at a convenient time for consumers. This particular service will be somewhat accommodating to mobile consumers as the service will be optimized for use on mobile devices.
Retailer to update e-commerce platforms
Wal-Mart also has plans to renovate its e-commerce structure. Currently, the company’s online retail presence is based on old technological platforms. Many of these platforms are simply not designed to accommodate mobile traffic. As such, these platforms are often linked to poor performance on mobile devices. In an effort to better accommodate mobile commerce, Wal-Mart has plans to upgrade its e-commerce platforms.
Retail industry beginning to see an impact from mobile payments
The retail industry has come to a crossroad wherein it must discover the best way to engage consumers from around the world. Technology has played a major role in bringing the industry to this crossroad, especially as the Internet came to determine how successful many retailers would become in the future. The advent of mobile technology sparked evolution within the retail industry, and now the rise of mobile commerce is having the same effect. The future of the retail industry is beginning to look almost entirely dependent on mobile technology and retailers that shirk the mobile space may be setting themselves up to fail in the near future.
Retailers must focus more on mobile engagement
Mobile payments are quickly becoming more common around the world. Branding Brands CEO Christopher Mason notes that the retail industry is becoming more acclimated to the mobile space, largely due to the demands coming from consumers. Despite some interest from retailers, however, Mason suggests that most in the industry lack appropriate enthusiasm when it comes to mobile payments. Mason notes that of the 500 retailers in the world, only 40% have mobile consumer interfaces, which means many of these retailers are not providing an enjoyable experience to mobile consumer, who may soon determine the fate of these retail companies with the power held in their mobile wallets.
Wal-Mart takes note of the popularity of mobile devices
Wendy Bergh, senior director of mobile and digital strategy for Wal-Mart, notes that much of her focus in recent years has been on in-store experiences and how they can be improved through the use of mobile applications. Bergh suggests that applications are an ideal way to get consumers into physical stores, by offering these consumers discounts and services that are exclusive to physical stores and the applications used therein. Wal-Mart is currently developing a scanning application that will allow consumers to find products and purchase these products directly from their mobile device.
Mobile payments may soon dominate retail industry
Mobile payments may soon come to dictate the future of the retail industry. Consumers have shown some reluctance in participating in mobile commerce, largely due to security concerns. Many of the concerns that consumers have, however, are being addressed through the development of new mobile payments services that are more secure than their predecessors. As mobile commerce becomes more secure, it is becoming increasingly likely that consumers will favor mobile payments over traditional forms of commerce.
