A movement towards ‘mobile-friendly’ shopping experiences across UK high-streets is pulling in an extra £200 million a year in retail sales.
According to discount hub RetailMeNot, the use of mobile technology – such as targeted offers and loyalty schemes – is also tipped to boost footfall, although mobile payment options remain largely unpopular with the British shopper.
But that’s not to say consumers are afraid to use their devices at the till. RetailMeNot revealed that mobile vouchers are increasingly finding their place within the bricks-and-mortar purchase journey, driving £189.62 million in sales for UK stores in 2015.
In comparison, France spent £125.74 million while Germany spent £105.54 million. However, where mobile vouchers have really found their feet is in the US where they were attributed to a total £591.58 million.
How it works
Back in the UK, half of consumers have admitted “showrooming” whilst in store – using mobile devices to read up on reviews, product information and prices, with 44% willing to spend more in stores that accommodate this browsing behaviour.
Some of the most popular mobile services cited among consumers were loyalty schemes held on mobiles (40.4%), payment options to avoid queuing (36.7%), apps to pre-order food and drink before arrival (35.8%), and alerts for nearby discounts (34.3%).
While on the digital side m-commerce enjoys continued success – set to take 35.6% of online sales as a whole this year – the upshot is that retailers willing to embrace this change in offline consumer buying habits could tap into a £7.8 billion in additional sales.
“Faced with this increasingly complex environment, mobile offers retailers the opportunity to enhance the shopping experience and to drive repeat sales across all channels,” said Severine Philardeau, vice president retail and brand solutions at RetailMeNot.
New technologies such as geofencing can help to capture customers through targeted offers while they’re out shopping on high street and guide them in-store, Philardeau added.
“Forward-facing retailers are now rethinking the shopping journey with mobile at the centre and they see the broader potential of mobile technologies beyond the mobile transaction.”