Survey reveals retailers unprepared for mobile commerce

The research shows that 42% of retailers believe mobile commerce is already affecting shopping behavior at brick-and-mortar stores and 89% believe mobile will be as popular as ecommerce. Yet only 16% have a mobile strategy in place.

Furthermore, 60% of consumers are now actively using their mobile devices to help make purchase decisions. Similarly, 40% use mobile apps to make shopping decisions and 37% use a mixture of the two.

A recent study by Motorola found that 39% of store walk-outs are due to customers making checks on their mobile devices regarding prices and availability.

“The results show a significant discrepancy between retailers’ anticipations of the impact of mobile and the strategies they currently have to facilitate this demand,” said David Eads, head of product marketing at Kony.

“Mobile is already affecting shopping habits and has the potential to overtake ecommerce in the next few years.”

While 74% of retailers have a presence on the iPhone, it’s interesting to note that over half (58%) of consumers prefer to shop and browse on other platforms, meaning that by developing for just the iPhone, retailers are ignoring a significant portion of their customer base.