Launched yesterday, 24 June 2013, the latest update to their multichannel report is based on research entitled 'WindowOn...Multichannel: Revisited' and follows up from its Multichannel report launched in February 2012. This time, it reviews the role of the smartphone in the shopper's world.
"Last year we looked at m-commerce whilst investigating social media and multichannel retail, but with smartphone ownership passing the 50% mark in the UK, we felt it was time to turn our attention properly to m-commerce," said Danielle Pinnington, MD at Shoppercentric. "This is an exciting area for retail and, based on our findings among a sample of smartphone and tablet owners, there is a huge opportunity for retailers and brands to create even better connections with existing and potential customers."
"It's important that retailers and brands give due consideration to which, where and how shoppers are using smartphones for browsing and buying. Connectivity and access to free Wi-Fi is no doubt a factor behind high usage from home or the office, but why specifically a smartphone and not a tablet or laptop? Well, our findings imply that it's the immediacy of a smartphone that is so attractive to shoppers since they have it with them at all times - always being charged and switched on. It's also great for remembering you need something and buying it wherever you are, or taking a picture to recall later - something that more mature users acknowledge is particularly useful," Pinnington said.
"The more mature smartphone shopper is definitely an area that retailers need to attune to, as their browsing and buying behaviours are considerably more constrained than any other age group. It could be tempting to jump to the conclusion that screen size and functionality form the greatest barriers for this older generation, however, while these are undoubtedly obstacles to mobile shopping for many, they are issues shared by all age groups.
"It is on a far more fundamental level that older shoppers appear distinct: They are much less likely to recognise a need to shop on the move in this way and one in four just 'does not see the point'. Yet this could be the big opportunity for retailers and brands to provide an attractive hook for these instinctive bargain-hunters to join the m-commerce fold. Relatively few of these shoppers share in the delights of voucher/coupon hunting online, but they could secure significant savings on a variety of goods and services if they were marketed to effectively.
With their larger screens and ease of touch functionality, it is also worth flagging that tablets are also of great interest to mature users, so brand owners would do well to consider this lucrative target in their tablet-based strategies, especially as the tablet market develops. Communication and functionality must hit the right buttons with this age group, to build their confidence, capture their imagination and encourage them to take full advantage of the ease and convenience afforded by shopping in this way.
"In conclusion, m-commerce is undoubtedly transforming the retail landscape at an unprecedented rate and smartphone usage is at the heart of this change. The smarter brands and retailers are already adapting their integrated marketing plans to ensure m-commerce is a strong touch point in the purchase process - those that don't do so at their peril since they risk losing out on significant market share and failing to attract a new generation of shoppers," she concludes.
"The arrival of the Smartphone has brought significant changes, and some may say huge improvements, to the way in which we all lead our lives today. This most recent report provides up-to-date insights into how shoppers are responding to these changes and the ways in which shopping behaviour is changing across the multi-channel landscape. Given the significant impacts taking place in the retail sector, the focus and rigour of this Shoppercentric research provides marketers and retailers with actionable insights," adds Dr Susan Rose, associate professor in marketing management at Henley Business School.