Consumers are using their mobile devices to enhance their in-store shopping experiences.
A new study from Yes Marketing has found that 57% of consumers surveyed used retail mobile apps while shopping in-store. Consumers used the retailer’s app to locate items that were on sale, to redeem coupons, etc.
The results of the study suggest that retailers need to focus on delivering a multichannel experience to consumers.
According to Yes Marketing, the discovery made in its “Surviving the Retail Apocalypse” report indicates that the industry has reached a tipping point in consumers’ cross-channel expectations.
The marketing company surveyed more than 1,000 consumers of various ages and learned the top reasons these participants used retail mobile apps while shopping in-store. The number one reason was to redeem coupons (65%), to find coupons (57%), and to track down items on sale (46%).
The findings of the survey suggest that it is becoming increasingly important for retailers to provide consumers with a multichannel experience that encourages more mobile users to shop in-store and inspires customer loyalty.
More consumers prefer to shop in-store with retail mobile apps than engage in mobile commerce.
Even though more and more consumers are shopping on mobile, the Yes Marketing study found that only 33% of consumers prefer to actually make purchases via their smartphone. For the most part, consumers (49%) are still more comfortable using their tablet and desktop for making online purchases as they feel these devices offer a more frictionless experience.
Additionally, the report also found that retailers are struggling to improve the overall mobile experience they offer consumers. The study learned that there are an equal number of consumers preferring desktop over mobile because it is quicker to make purchases or simpler to comparison shop. This is an indication that brands continue to struggle to create a seamless mobile experience for consumers.
“To survive the retail apocalypse, retailers need to prioritize the mobile experience,” said Jim Sturm, president of Yes Marketing, in a press release. “Consumers will not hesitate to turn to another brand if it offers a more user-friendly experience.”
Strum added that retailers can bring the mobile-to-store experience by introducing retail mobile apps that support the in-store shopping experience with features like access to product ratings, maps of store layouts and so on.
