Although shoppers can now use mobile devices to connect with and purchase from retailers, two out of three U.S. shoppers say they still follow up their mobile research with an in-store visit, according to research from XAd. Shoppers also are using mobile to engage more within the store, and are 75% more likely to use their devices upon entering the store than they were three years ago.
Given that 78% of U.S. consumers researching products and services on their phones seek to make their purchase in one day or less, retailers must deliver timely, relevant messages to consumers whether they’re in the store or at home. Marketers also can enhance the in-store experience to enforce loyalty, or to retarget these customers on their devices at a later time to gain repeat business.
Among U.S. consumers, 58% say they’ve used their smartphone to research clothing and apparel purchases within the past 30 days, the highest of any retail category. Other popular retail categories U.S. consumers like to research on their smartphones include:
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Grocery (57%);
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Electronics (41%);
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Home goods and home improvement (39%);
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Beauty and wellness (37%);
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Games and entertainment (31%); and
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Sports and leisure (23%).
XAd compiled the 2016 Mobile Path to Purchase report in collaboration with Millward Brown to examine how more than 5,000 consumers in the U.S., UK, Germany, China and Japan leverage their mobile devices to make retail-related purchase decisions.
Smartphones are now considered the most important device for retail research by at least 30% of all retail shoppers surveyed. Among Chinese consumers, half share that sentiment, far surpassing the 37% still favoring the desktop or laptop. Additionally, 44% of Japanese consumers preferred mobile devices as their first research choice, almost as many as the 45% who prefer desktops or laptops.
Across all the countries studied, the report found three common themes:
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Location matters for consumers looking to make a retail purchase;
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The offline retail experience needs to match the ease and personalization of online; and
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Mobile and location-based marketing are the keys to bridging the online and offline retail worlds.
