Sophisticated consumers are more accepting than ever of mobile as a shopping channel, with 59% of smartphone owners shopping during 2012, according to new research.
The study, from Stibo Systems, highlights a marked rise in consumer acceptance of mobile commerce.
The survey’s findings point to growing consumer expectations and acceptance of mobile as a means of browsing and purchasing goods online. They highlight the importance of embracing mobile as a key part of a retailer’s multi-channel and data management strategies in order to meet this increased customer demand. These most recent findings follow Stibo Systems’ 2012 consumer retail survey, which found that attitudes and practices surrounding online commerce are rapidly evolving year-on-year.
According to the survey, the number of consumers that say they have used a mobile device to purchase a product online has risen dramatically by 19 percent in the last year, from 40 percent to 59 – twice as many as in the previous year.
Most notably, following the recent influx of Apple iPads, Google Nexus 7s and Amazon Fires on to the market, one in five respondents said that they had used a tablet to shop online, up from only 5 percent in 2012 and 2 percent in 2011. Interestingly, and perhaps because of the growing popularity of tablets, the use of smartphones has dropped slightly and the use of laptops, while still the most popular method, has fallen by 6 points since 2012, and a further 7 since 2011.
On the whole, retailers appear to have acknowledged consumer attitudes to shopping on their mobile devices, as a third of respondents rated their mobile commerce experience as either excellent (10 percent) or good (21 percent), up from a 25 percent in 2012. However, mobile devices themselves still present barriers to successful online retail, with almost a half (48 percent) of consumers complaining that the screen was too small to satisfactorily read product information, and a similar number (46 percent) lacking trust in the security of their device.
Legibility aside, in terms of content, three quarters of respondents described it as being very important to be able to access product information online – details of size and colour, for example. This was up 8 points from 67 percent in 2012, suggesting that consumers are becoming more sophisticated and selective in their online shopping habits. This is further illustrated by a rise in the number of consumers (17 percent) who were put off from making a purchase due to a lack of available product information.
The use of a mobile device as a means of reviewing a product prior to purchase has continued to rise, with almost half (46 percent) of respondents – twice as many as last year – saying they always or regularly use it for this purpose.
The rapidly growing adoption of mobile as a touchpoint in all stages of the purchase funnel, coupled with increasingly sophisticated consumer use and expectations, demonstrates the need for retailers to fully commit to mobile as a significant portion of their multichannel offering. In addition, as the survey highlights the importance of full and relevant product information during the reviewing and purchasing processes, retailers should consider how they manage this information so that it remains detailed and consistent across all available channels.
Mark Thorpe, UK managing director at Stibo Systems, comments, “Although every year is hailed as the ‘year of the mobile’, there is sufficient evidence in these results to demonstrate that mobile is now a legitimate channel for retailers, particularly with the recent rapid adoption of tablet devices. In order to maximise its benefits, retailers should now pay full attention to mobile commerce, not only to ensure a satisfactory customer experience, but also to meet expectations and avoid disappointment, and the resulting lost sales that this may lead to.”
Other key findings include:
• The amount of women (14% in 2013 vs 45% in 2012) who ‘never’ use a mobile device to review products before making a purchase has fallen much faster than men (19% in 2013 vs 36% in 2012)
• The amount of women (61% in 2013 vs 37% in 2012) who have purchased a product using their mobile device has increased at a faster rate than men (55% in 2013 vs 43% in 2012).
• All areas of purchasing have increased since 2012 with fashion showing the biggest growth (almost half who have purchased on their mobiles bought a fashion item. Entertainment, grocery, luxury and holiday purchases have all increased by more than 5% since 2012.)
• The percentage of men (75% in 2013 vs 62% in 2012) purchasing entertainment products has increased at a faster rate than women (54% in 2013 vs 50% in 2012).
• The same can be said about fashion, where the percentage of men purchasing a fashion item has tripled (32% in 2013 vs 11% in 2012), doubling for women (60% in 2013 vs 33% n 2012).
Methodology
The survey was carried out by Red Shift Research on behalf of Stibo Systems in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct, which guarantees anonymity to all respondents, and was designed to track year-on-year smartphone data. Research was conducted amongst 2000 smartphone and tablet users in February 2013 using an email invitation and an online survey. The research explores the factors which determine the success of a retailer’s m-commerce strategy and understand how consumers are adjusting to the introduction of the mobile in the commerce environment. It seeks to understand the pivotal role product information management plays in the provision of a successful and ultimately profitable m-commerce experience, while exploring the ways retailers can embrace the smartphone era. The findings provide valuable insight into what makes consumers tick when it comes to the m-commerce experience and the consumer’s purchasing decisions.
Source: www.stibosystems.co.uk
