Mobile 'untangles and enhances' the path to physical stores

Mobile has opened up new opportunities for retailers to drive sales to brick-and-mortar stores, concludes the 'Local Mobile Advantage of Retailing' report. According to Chris Fagan, CEO of Key Ring, "mobile commerce isn't only limited to purchases made on a phone - it actually facilitates purchases at the local store level".

The report reveals mobile's power over consumers' purchase decisions in the pre-store, in-store and post-store shopping stages.

Nearly all (90%) of consumers surveyed for the report said smartphones were the easiest devices to use for in-store shopping. The most popular in-store mobile activity was searching for coupons to try to save money (35.9%), far more popular than buying an item online (12%).

Even before visiting a store, mobile phones have a role to play in the shopping scenario. Eighty-nine percent of respondents use their mobile phone to make a shopping list before a journey to the stores compared to just 6% who use a tablet and 4.7% who use a desktop.

"To fully unlock mobile's purchase power, retail and brand marketers must craft experiences that deliver what shoppers need, when they need it," said Fagan. "Mobile is used along the path to purchase - a process than is no longer as linear as it used to be because mobile devices facilitate discovery and planning on-the-go."

"When marketers are able to deliver localized, personalized, and relevant content to mobile shoppers, they will untangle and enhance the path to brick-and-mortar."

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: brick-and-mortar, consumer survey, mobile, path to purchase, shopping