Retailers missing out on smartphone shoppers

Retailers looking to take full advantage of shoppers over the festive season should look to the mobile market, according to research by mobile coupon firm 2ergo.

The study of more than 80 high street retailers found that four out of five had made no effort to target people through their smartphones. With shoppers increasingly using their mobile devices to check for product details and offers, 2ergo is warning that retailers are being slow to catch up with changing shopping habits.

Joint managing director at 2ergo, John Stevens, says, “Research shows that more and more shoppers are using their phones in-store to check product details, compare prices and look for coupons or special offers. Last year, 51% of Christmas shoppers took part in mobile activity of this kind and we expect it to increase dramatically this year with the rise in the number of smartphone owners.”

Web mobile traffic is predicted to increase fivefold, according to market research company comScore while Gartner reports mobile web usage is predicted to shortly overtake browsing from a PC so 2ergo is advising retailers to embrace mobile technology. John Stevens explains: “Small numbers of retailers are targeting some smartphone users, yet even this handful are not able to fully profit from the opportunity. For example, 50% of the retailers who have invested in apps don’t have mCommerce capabilities so are failing to use them to drive sales. In a competitive market, a sound mobile marketing strategy can help retailers to revolutionise results.”