Calls on retailers to solve retail and customer problems with latest mobile-based technologies According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) in the UK, 92% of shoppers research products while on the move. Of these, nearly half go into a store to buy, 37% make their purchase on a desktop PC and 28% do so on their mobile.
Calls on retailers to solve retail and customer problems with latest mobile-based technologies
According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) in the UK, 92% of shoppers research products while on the move. Of these, nearly half go into a store to buy, 37% make their purchase on a desktop PC and 28% do so on their mobile.
Innovation in store can solve both retailers’ and their customers’ problems, according to the internet marketing body. Ross Sleight, Internet Advertising Bureau chief strategy officer, urged retailers to consider what their customers want and how they can remove barriers using mobile? “Can you create a better experience using mobile that helps you make the sale?” he asked.
Consumers will use their phone to find their nearest store, enabling the use of location-based offers to encourage visitors. The IAB also flagged new audio trigger technologies in development that use location-triggered sonic frequencies to push deals to an app in real-time, instore or nearby.
Joining up multichannel experience
Free Wi-Fi instore aids research, which encourages customers to buy, particularly with large purchases. The IAB found that 78% of people would use it if offered, 38% have done already.
Hospitality apps can also help staff enhance the shopping experience, or give consumers a virtual assistant. While real-time stock levels are a must for people picking up their purchases.
Mobile technology also presents plenty of opportunities to provide more information – customers can scan a quick response (QR) code instore to get instant reviews, compare products and show non-displayed items. One in five UK consumers had already used a scanner by October last year.
Simplifying the checkout experience
Apple stores in the US offer an app that allows customers to scan and buy products under $200 in the store using their phones without even having to speak to an assistant.
“Retailers who want to be successful in mobile should recognise the need to personalise content,” Sleight stated. “Can your mobile offering make recommendations on products to complement their preliminary purchase? If you aren’t providing the same information that Amazon can, then you aren’t competing in a multichannel environment.”
