What is the top smartphone activity done in store by mobile shoppers?

Pointing to the potential of beacons and push notifications to enhance the in-store shopping experience, 90 percent of consumers who responded to a new survey being released today by Gannett divisions G/O Digital and Key Ring identified smartphones as the easiest-to-use device for shopping in a physical store.

The Local Mobile Advantage of Retailing report considers mobile’s role for shoppers in their pre-store, in-store and post-store activities. While mobile has opened up a new opportunity to drive sales from online and mobile channels to physical retail, many retailers are overwhelmed by the proliferation of devices and are finding it a challenge to connect, engage and build meaningful, long-term relationships with consumers.

“One of the biggest takeaways from the study is that mobile commerce isn’t only limited to purchases made on a phone – it actually facilitates purchases at the local store level,” said Chris Fagan, CEO of Key Ring. “To fully unlock mobile’s purchase power, retail and brand marketers must craft experiences that deliver what shoppers need, when they need it.

“Mobile is used along the path to purchase – a process than is no longer as linear as it used to be because mobile devices facilitate discovery and planning on-the-go,” he said.

“When marketers are able to deliver localized, personalized, and relevant content to mobile shoppers, they will untangle and enhance the path to brick-and-mortar.”

Conduit for saving
The study of how consumers use their smartphones and tablets in pre-store, in-store and post-store shopping experiences is based on responses from 13,000 users of the Key Ring shopping app.

Key findings from the report include that mobile is viewed by consumers as a key conduit for saving money, with searching for a coupon the most popular in-store activity named by 35.86 percent of respondents. In comparison, 12.05 percent named buying an item online as their favorite in-store smartphone activity.

Prior to visiting a store, smartphones are appreciated for their list-making capabilities, with 89.3 percent of respondents saying that their smartphone is the most convenient device for making a shopping list prior to visiting a physical retail store. In comparison, only 6.1 percent prefer to use their tablets and 4.7 percent their computers.

Additionally, 22 percent of mobile shoppers said they always create a shopping list before they shop and 39 percent said they often do so.

Relevant experiences
The report highlights how consumers increasingly expect highly personal, relevant and targeted shopping experiences. It also suggests that iBeacons and push notification technology will be critical tools for helping marketers and retailers deliver the kind of hyperlocal, contextually relevant ads in real time that can facilitate in-store transactions for shoppers.

Marketers need to focus on developing experiences that adapt to shoppers’ localized needs,” Mr. Fagan said. “Helping customers solve problems or more easily manage the information-overload that’s inherent within the shopping process will help foster higher brand engagement and long-term customer loyalty.

“Think about customer loyalty in this way,” he said. “It’s all about providing utility – the subtle hook that brings first-time and repeat customers back time and time again to engage with your brand across all devices and channels.

“That’s where location-based technology like iBeacons and geofencing allows marketers to create shopping experiences that are fine-tuned to customers’ personal, contextually relevant and local needs.”

Final Take
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York

Mobile users do everything on their phone including chatting, socializing, researching, and of course shopping.   Mobile already accounts for 30% of ecommerce and according to company Coupofy.com, mobile commerce is growing 300% faster than traditional ecommerce. As consumers increasingly transition from their desktops to mobile devices, organizations across all industries need to pay full attention to what mobile consumers value and expect from brands.

The Overlap Between Offline and Online Channels

Brands are aware of the overlap between the offline and online channel experience and this will continue to play a critical role in the mobile experience. According to insights from Google, 82% of smartphone users turn to their phone while in a store to help make purchase decisions.

What is the top smartphone activity done in store by mobile shoppers?

In response, retailers are implementing innovative technologies to tie the offline and online mobile experience to create a seamless and personalized purchase journey.  Furniture retailer IKEA is a great example of a brand who is responding to its mobile base.  The company, which prints millions of catalogs, implemented image recognition in its catalogs. Readers can scan the catalog with their mobile devices to see relevant content, 360-vew furniture displays and can even visually place furniture pieces in their homes.

Beacon-enabled technologies are also on the rise, allowing brands to target consumers with personalized offers, loyalty rewards and mobile payments. 85 of the top 100 retailers are planning to adopt beacon technology by the end of 2016. Additionally, Business Insider expects beacons to have a direct influence on over $44 billion in US retail sales in 2016.

62% of Mobile Shoppers Want Product Pictures

Nielsen recently conducted a survey among 3,700 mobile device owners who had used their smartphone or tablet for mobile shopping, paying or banking in the prior 30 days. The research reviewed the shopping habits of both mobile phone users and smartphone owners.  According to Nielsen, the most common activity by both groups of mobile device owners is researching an item before purchasing (72% and 66% respectively). The second most common activity is checking the price of an item (70% and 57%).

What is the top smartphone activity done in store by mobile shoppers?

With so many consumers using mobile for shopping-related activities, they brands must adjust accordingly with mobile-optimized experiences. The most important factor for mobile shoppers is the ability to see product pictures (62% of smartphone users, 63% of tablet users.)

Other factors consumers ranked as important include:

  • Using the mobile friendly version of the website (48% smartphone, 35% tablet)
  • Having product descriptions (44% smartphone, 45% tablet)
  • Being able to read product reviews (44% smartphone, 46% tablet)
  • Ability to see/compare price of product (44% smartphone, 42% tablet)

Consumers will Abandon a Brand in Favor of Another for a Better Mobile Experience

Providing a holistic mobile experience is no longer a luxury for brands.  Consumers expect this from every brand they choose to do business with and if a brand doesn’t deliver, they will simply find one who can. Google research indicates that 64% of smartphone users expect a site to load in 4 seconds or less, 40% of consumers have turned to a competitor for a better mobile experience, and 1 in 4 shoppers abandon their carts if a site’s navigation is too complex.

What is the top smartphone activity done in store by mobile shoppers?

Building a mobile friendly website is of course step one and is expected by consumers. Already, 62% of US online adults expect a mobile-friendly website and 23% expect their mobile experience to change based on location, according to Forrester’s US Mobile Mind Shift Online Survey. Brands must also incorporate a mobile mindset into each step of the customer journey. According to an article by Hubspot, “A number of brands have figured out how to anticipate and capitalize on these micro-moments. Apple Passbook loads up your Starbucks card when you’re near a coffee shop. Hertz sends you an email when your plane lands to let your know that your car is ready. Starwood allows you to check in and open your hotel room with your smartphone.”

The Year of the Mobile App

2016 has been deemed the year of the mobile app. The average U.S. consumer last year spent 3 hours and 5 minutes a day using apps, compared with 51 minutes surfing the mobile Web, according to eMarketer.

Retailers who have implemented mobile apps have the edge when it comes to how shoppers select and purchase items. While apps tend to be downloaded only by a brand’s most loyal consumers, the payoffs are well worth it. An app produces a treasure trove of data which can be used to personalize offers and improve customer value and retention. As retailers track what a consumer clicks on, browses, or has purchased in the past, this data can be used to create highly impactful offers and predict what a consumer is likely to purchase next.

According to research by Criteo, “investment in top-tier customers improved mobile app conversions over mobile Web conversions by 120 percent.”

What is the top smartphone activity done in store by mobile shoppers?

Mobile commerce is outpacing traditional ecommerce channels at alarming rates. Consumer expectations are forcing brands to refocus on the mobile shopping experience with innovative strategies to continually keep up with consumers and evolving mobile expectations.

To learn more great tips and strategies on how to adapt to today’s omnichannel consumer expectations download our free Omnichannel Marketing Success Kit.

What is the top smartphone activity done in store by mobile shoppers?