The impact of mobile on e-commerce and retail is no longer a matter of surprise. According to The State of Retailing Online 2017: Key Metrics, Business Objectives and Mobile, a study commissioned by the National Retail Federation and undertaken by Forrester, online sales made up 11.6% of total retail sales in the US in 2016, and nearly half of the sales was affected by “digital touchpoints.”
54% of retailers having participated in the survey note mobile is among their top initiatives, leaving behind marketing and site merchandising. Omnichannel implementation also made the list of top priorities for 2017: 22% of survey participants mentioned it as a priority.
According to the study, on average, almost 30% of online sales conducted by US retailers were made on smartphones, which is a 65% increase from 2015.
A recent MaiChimp Audience Panel study by Salsify included 1.000 online shoppers who were asked what makes them choose this or that brand and retailer to shop and buy from. 77% of shoppers prefer a mobile device for shopping in-store. 35% of shoppers would like to ask a salesperson about something they’re interested in concerning a product.
Based on the research, consumers aged 18 – 29 would prefer to use a mobile device to do online shopping and this makes up 84%. Then come consumers aged 30 – 44, representing 78%.
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National Retail Federation (NRF) Vice President for Digital Retail notes smartphones have the greatest impact ever on retail sales. According to retailers, even modest investments in mobile initiatives can lead to huge returns. Mobile is no longer a new approach that can be applied to reach customers: it has turned into an immensely effective method that can make customers be more engaged with the brand.