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Mastering Mobile Could Be Retailer’s Key to 2017 Holiday Season
The big winner in this year’s Holiday shopping season may be retailers that master mobile. Three-quarters of smartphone owners plan to use them when shopping this year as a research or buying tool, according to ICSC Research.
Not surprisingly, Millennials will be more likely to use mobile devices while shopping in a store than Gen X-ers or baby boomers this Holiday season. ICSC’s survey found that 93% of Millennials will do so, compared with 81% of Gen X-ers and 56% of boomers.
ICSC also reports that 83% of shoppers overall will research retailers’ websites or use their apps, primarily for research, before heading to the stores.
And the concept of m-commerce, purchasing online via mobiles, is rising compared to PC/laptop purchases. In Q4 2015, 73% of consumers said they bought something via a PC/laptop. Today, that number has steadily declined to 58%, according to research by GlobalWebIndex. Meanwhile, online purchases via a smartphone have increased from 46% in Q4 2015 to 53% today.
Research from GlobalWebIndex also shows 26% of Americans use mobile pay in fast-food restaurants. Globally, that number rises to 44%, with Asia Pacific (51%) the clear leader since mobile payment habits and systems are well-established in the market.
The reasons ICSC found for using a mobile device to shop differ, though. Among all shoppers, the most popular reason for using a device this way will be to compare prices (61%). Other reasons included:
– Obtaining digital discounts or coupons (44%)
– Checking product availability (39%)
– Taking pictures of items under consideration for purchase (38%)
– Viewing ratings or researching products (34%)
– Emailing friends or family members information about products (32%)
Those who plan to use their devices to pay for merchandise remain a small minority; with only 17% of Holiday shoppers in the ICSC survey planning to pay with a phone or app while in a store.
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Dennis Kaiser
