Is mobile ousting paper-based catalogs?
Research into the habits of both smartphone users and non-smartphone users in the U.K. found that more used their mobile devices to research, browse and buy goods on a weekly basis than catalogs – 25% versus 16%.
In addition, across 20 key brands surveyed, 2.55% of shoppers have purchased using an app or an m-website in the past 12 months, compared with 2.27% using catalogs.
Portaltech’s research , carried out with eDigital Research, shows just how much mobile is becoming the “glue” that binds together today’s shopping experience. It highlights the need for marketers to understand that mobile is part of the multi-channel shopping tactics now used by many consumers.
“The result is very surprising,” says Rachel Wilkinson, head of brand and retail at Portaltech. “Many retailers are typically spending huge amounts on producing and mailing catalogs, as well as handling orders from them, while more people are actually looking to browse and buy through apps and m-web.”
“This is especially interesting when the biggest hurdle to investing in mobile cited by most retailers is that it doesn’t offer a clear ROI path,” Wilkinson continues. “But what we are telling retailers, based on our research, is that they shouldn’t be looking for ROI in terms of sales through the mobile channel, but looking more at how mobile increases sales across all channels.”
Internet Retailing is hosting an interesting video presentation by Rachel Wilkinson and her colleague, sales director Mark Adams, in which reasons why marketers can’t ignore mobile marketing are explained.
