Retail
M-Commerce features offered by US multichannel retailers
M-Commerce features offered by US multichannel retailers
As more in-store shoppers—especially millennials, who are used to turning to their mobile phone to stay connected anytime, anywhere—become mobile web users, demand for an in-store experience that takes advantage of web capabilities will only grow.
“In developing a mobile commerce program, a retailer should look ahead as well as think broadly,” said Mr. Grau.
“Looking ahead means not getting locked into a platform with a set of technical capabilities that cannot expand to meet new requirements,” he explained. “Thinking broadly involves fitting mobile commerce into a multichannel strategy where channels support one another so that the total effect is greater than the sum of the parts.”
Mobile Marketing Gaining Ground Among Retailers
US retailers are actively pursuing the mobile channel to enhance customer engagement and loyalty: 73% have some type of mobile initiative in place and 20% of are in the process of evaluating the mobile channel, according to a survey from Forbes Insights, in association with Research In Motion (RIM).
Fully one-third of surveyed retail executives describe their early mobile efforts as either widely implemented (10%) or rapidly expanding (24%).
Nearly one-half of retailers (47%) say they want to capture “first-mover advantage” as their customers go mobile, whereas 23% say they are adopting mobile to keep up with their competitors and 20% are taking an incremental approach to the mobile channel.
Below, other findings from the study, Retail’s Mobility Imperative, which surveyed more than 300 executives at top US retailers.
Retailers are now at varying levels of sophistication in their mobile efforts. Fundamental tactics such as mobile ads (35%) and mobile websites (36%) are the most common, while other retailers are moving into more customer service-related applications (33%) and transaction-based tactics, such as mobile coupons (29%).
Mobile Marketing Gaining Ground Among Retailers
US retailers are actively pursuing the mobile channel to enhance customer engagement and loyalty: 73% have some type of mobile initiative in place and 20% of are in the process of evaluating the mobile channel, according to a survey from Forbes Insights, in association with Research In Motion (RIM).
Fully one-third of surveyed retail executives describe their early mobile efforts as either widely implemented (10%) or rapidly expanding (24%).
Nearly one-half of retailers (47%) say they want to capture “first-mover advantage” as their customers go mobile, whereas 23% say they are adopting mobile to keep up with their competitors and 20% are taking an incremental approach to the mobile channel.
Below, other findings from the study, Retail’s Mobility Imperative, which surveyed more than 300 executives at top US retailers.
Retailers are now at varying levels of sophistication in their mobile efforts. Fundamental tactics such as mobile ads (35%) and mobile websites (36%) are the most common, while other retailers are moving into more customer service-related applications (33%) and transaction-based tactics, such as mobile coupons (29%).
Some retailers are experimenting with GPS-enabled proximity-marketing capabilities (24%) and downloadable brand-related content (18%).
Looking for great digital marketing data? MarketingProfs reviewed hundreds of research sources to create our most recent Digital Marketing Factbook (May 2010), a 296-page compilation of data and 254 charts, covering email marketing, social media, search engine marketing, e-commerce, and mobile marketing. Also check out The State of Social Media Marketing, a 240-page original research report from MarketingProfs.
Satisfaction With Mobile Efforts
Retailers are satisfied with their mobile efforts thus far: 45% say their mobile channel returns are meeting their expectations, and 17% say they are exceeding expectations.
Device Support
Retailers are evaluating which mobile devices and operating systems to support and cite the following as the most important factor in determining support for a platform:
- Demographics of the mobile device’s customer base: 72%
- The device’s expected market share: 70%
- The device’s current market share: 67%
- Availability of development tools: 67%
- Ease of development: 64%
- Availability of technical support programs: 64%
- Availability of marketing/business development support programs: 63%
- Broad base of developers, systems integrators, and ISVs: 59%.
Integrating Mobile With Other Channels
Many retailers also understand the need to coordinate across channels: 45% say their integration of mobile with other channels is already effective (29%) or very effective (16%).
Similarly, 40% of marketers say they expect their mobile efforts to be fully integrated with their other channels in the next year.
About the data: Findings are from a survey of 305 US Retailers (multi-location chains with annual revenues of $100 million and higher) conducted in April 2010 by Forbes Insights.
Top mcommerce trends for 2010 – what’s hot and what’s not
Mobile commerce trend No. 1 – Investment
Mobile commerce trend No. 2 – Mobile couponing
Mobile commerce trend No. 3 – Location
Mobile commerce trend No. 4 – Social
Mobile commerce trend No. 5 – Analytics
Mobile usage consistent across all levels of retailers
While the overall marketing mix tends to be more balanced for best-in-class retailers, mobile is consistent across all three kinds of retailers. Television and online channels vary the most with Print being relatively consistent as well.
