Most retailers think purely online sales when considering mobile shoppers, but statistics show that brick and mortars should be looking to mobile to drive in-store sales as well.
Retailers must consider the entire purchase cycle when determining the role that mobile plays in their total store sales. Savvy retailers are finding ways to connect and retain shoppers on mobile devices making it more likely that they will convert in-store.
While online sales are important to retailers, we can’t forget that “Mobile and online transactions represent only a sliver of total retail revenue potential,” as Kasey Lobaugh, principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP and Deloitte Digital’s chief retail innovation officer, stated in a recent study.
It’s easy for online marketers to envision traditional brick and mortar stores as cobweb-ridden ghost towns abandoned for the shiny luster of all that’s online, but the truth is that 93% of retail sales were still made in-store.
This is where it gets interesting for brick and mortars, because we see some strong data that points to mobile shopping as a driving force to the retail outlet. This is something that storeowners can personalize to their advantage.
In-fact, Google conducted it’s own research on this very point to determine how retailers can better connect with their consumers. Google found that;
Two in three shoppers who tried to find information within a store say they didn’t find what they needed, and 43% of them left frustrated. And 71% of in-store shoppers who use smartphones for online research say their device has become more important to their in-store experience.
More and more people are doing their homework online before making a purchase, but the final purchase may still be made in-store. Deloitte Digital found that consumers using mobile devices for their shopping research convert at a rate 40% higher than those who do not use a device. Additionally, Deloitte Digital found a dramatic impact on traffic, spending and loyalty from digital shoppers:
• 84% of store visitors use their devices before or during a shopping trip.• 22% of consumers spend more as a result of using digital; just over half of these shoppers report spending at least 25% more than they had intended.• 75% of respondents said product information found on social channels influenced their shopping behavior and enhanced loyalty.
With so many shoppers using their mobile devices as a supplement to assist their shopping experience, savvy storeowners can tailor their mobile and online presence to help guide shoppers right back into their stores.
No surprise that retailers such as Target are blazing the trial for mobilized retail. I recently read on MobileCommerceDaily that Target has acquired Powered Analytics, a startup that focuses on personalizing in-store shopping through mobile technology, location data and predictive analytics.
The company’s solution connects with a retailer’s app and uses information about a store’s layout and the location of products to deliver customized recommendations and messaging to shoppers.
Personalization has been shaping ecommerce sales for years now and mobile is simply and extension of that. Shoppers want stores to provide experiences tailored just for them; 85% say they’d be more likely to shop in places that offer personalized coupons and exclusive offers in-store. Stores who can use mobile to create a personal shopping experience as well as deliver competitive product insights are simply going to convert more.
