High-Def Look at the Mobile Shopper

Our firm has a long history of providing B2B public relations services to technology companies that serve the retail industry.  One of the timeliest subjects within this segment is the growth – and profound impact – of mobile technology on how consumers shop and how retailers must adapt to remain competitive in an increasingly mobile world.

So we found particular interest in an Internet Retailer story this week citing a recent Forrester Research report that provides a hi-def look at mobile shoppers and how they are using mobile devices to make retail purchase decisions.

The report includes a number of valuable insights:

The typical mobile shopper is male, in his 30s, financially sound with a full-time job.

13 percent of adults with a mobile phone have used it to purchase a product.

30 percent of tablet owners have used it to make an online purchase.

37 percent of tablet owners and 14 percent of smartphone owners use their devices for “webrooming,” or researching product pricing for eventual in-store purchases.

Mobile shoppers are also reading product reviews online (28 percent for tablet users and 10 percent for mobile phone users).

The average retail mobile site boasts just 1 percent conversion, compared to 2 – 3 percent conversion for PCs. (We’re pretty confident about the rapid growth of these figures.)

Barriers to mobile purchases include retail web sites that are not optimized for mobile, as well as concerns about mobile payment security and low performing wireless connectivity.

Nearly half of the retailers Forrester surveyed have no employees dedicated exclusively to mobile commerce.

What’s the takeaway?  Retailers need to focus more aggressively on mobile as the preferred strategy for delivering a true multi-channel experience, ensuring customer engagement and building long-term customer loyalty.

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