It may seem a little early to be speaking about Christmas but for retailers, the festive period is a crucial time to increase sales and attract customers with many UK shoppers beginning their Christmas shopping already and for a happy few, the mammoth Christmas list has been completed and they can put their feet up.
With mobile making waves for UK retailers, can retailers afford to ignore this channel or not fully utilise the mobile opportunities available?
A recent survey by VoucherCodes.co.uk revealed that over half of the shoppers in the UK are turning to their mobile when shopping, not only for browsing or comparing prices, but also to buy via their mobile with a fifth of shoppers reported as buying via their phone and 10% only using mobile as their main way for shopping.
According to Adobe’s Online Shopping Forecast they expect that 12.4% of all online sales during this festive period will be from mobile devices - a whopping 68% increase from last year. Mark Phibbs the vice president of EMEA marketing of Adobe stated: “The rapid growth in mobile shopping across Europe should be a very clear signal to retailers that a sound mobile strategy is not a luxury, but a vital part of their future success".
John Lewis received 50% of all online traffic on Christmas day last year from a mobile device and have launched a new iPad app as they hope to capitalise on this mobile opportunity. They themselves predict that mobile phones and tablets will be the main route of online traffic on Christmas day, overtaking desktops for the first time in what they term the UK’s first ‘mobile Christmas’.
It is clear that UK consumers are becoming more comfortable with using their mobile as part of the buying process. They can quickly compare prices using their mobile phone to find the best deals, browse online to find possible gift ideas and they can even buy online wherever they are, at any time. No longer are shoppers restricted to the opening hours of traditional brick and mortar stores, or using their PC or laptop at home, they can now make purchases whilst travelling on the bus or standing at the train platform making shopping more accessible and convenient.
As shoppers face the daunting task of buying all the presents for their loved ones this Christmas, they are quickly recognising the benefits of using their mobile devices to buy their gifts this year. As retailers continue to face difficult times, they cannot afford to lose out on mobile opportunities and not cater for mobile shoppers. Think about it. Would you stay long on a website that does not display well on a mobile device or tailored to make the buying process as easy as possible?
Learn more about how retailers can enhance the mobile shopping experience or read our Retail section to find out more.
A recent survey by VoucherCodes.co.uk revealed that over half of the shoppers in the UK are turning to their mobile when shopping, not only for browsing or comparing prices, but also to buy via their mobile with a fifth of shoppers reported as buying via their phone and 10% only using mobile as their main way for shopping.
According to Adobe’s Online Shopping Forecast they expect that 12.4% of all online sales during this festive period will be from mobile devices - a whopping 68% increase from last year. Mark Phibbs the vice president of EMEA marketing of Adobe stated: “The rapid growth in mobile shopping across Europe should be a very clear signal to retailers that a sound mobile strategy is not a luxury, but a vital part of their future success".
John Lewis received 50% of all online traffic on Christmas day last year from a mobile device and have launched a new iPad app as they hope to capitalise on this mobile opportunity. They themselves predict that mobile phones and tablets will be the main route of online traffic on Christmas day, overtaking desktops for the first time in what they term the UK’s first ‘mobile Christmas’.
It is clear that UK consumers are becoming more comfortable with using their mobile as part of the buying process. They can quickly compare prices using their mobile phone to find the best deals, browse online to find possible gift ideas and they can even buy online wherever they are, at any time. No longer are shoppers restricted to the opening hours of traditional brick and mortar stores, or using their PC or laptop at home, they can now make purchases whilst travelling on the bus or standing at the train platform making shopping more accessible and convenient.
As shoppers face the daunting task of buying all the presents for their loved ones this Christmas, they are quickly recognising the benefits of using their mobile devices to buy their gifts this year. As retailers continue to face difficult times, they cannot afford to lose out on mobile opportunities and not cater for mobile shoppers. Think about it. Would you stay long on a website that does not display well on a mobile device or tailored to make the buying process as easy as possible?
Learn more about how retailers can enhance the mobile shopping experience or read our Retail section to find out more.
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