Though shopping over smartphones is often measured in sales, the influence the devices have is broader than that.
Though shopping over smartphones has been seen as a very important measure of the impact that these devices are having on sales, research is starting to be able to hint at the influence that the technology is having when it comes to in-store commerce, as well.
Retailers are still benefiting from the marketing to smartphone and tablet carriers even when purchases are not made over that channel.
Research is showing that smartphones are not just a means of luring customers to make a purchase but they also drive in-store mobile commerce where shoppers research a product, receive marketing messages, learn about promotions, compare prices, and then find items that they then bring to the shop’s checkout counter.
The latest study’s results have said that major retailers cannot ignore in-store mobile commerce any longer.
The research was conducted by Informa Telecoms & Media and showed that the impact that these devices have on overall sales, including items purchased over the small screen, online from a desktop computer, or in a shop at a physical point of sale is a considerable one. It was also noted that the technology was growing not only in the process of shopping but also in the area of mobile payments, where the device is used in place of a wallet.
The report on the results of the research suggested that retailers that provide their customers with a range of different options from shopping to marketing to payments will be able to better serve a larger number of consumers and will reduce the risk of lost sales due to a shopper’s reluctance to want to face crowds or get into a long lineup.
This is particularly important during the Christmas season, in which many customers have chosen to visit a shop to actually see the product, but then skip the lineup by using their smartphones to make an in-store mobile commerce purchase. This way they can still see and select the product but neither have to line up nor lug the items back home again – as the product will be shipped for them.