How the United Kingdom Is Leading the Way in Mobile Shopping
Today’s consumer is increasingly becoming more sophisticated and transforming into a “Super Shopper” focused on digital channels.
According to Forrester, these are the shoppers of the future. They embrace technology, readily adding new digital touchpoints and devices such as smartphones and tablets to their shopping journey.
When it comes to mobile retail sales, the United Kingdom is a world leader. Historically, UK consumers are fast adopters when it comes to digital technologies, including shopping and buying on smart devices. According to eMarketer’s recent research, online retail sales in the UK for 2016 are likely to exceed £67 billion (approximately $88.7 billion). Mcommerce will account for a total of £25.2 billion ($33 billion) of these online sales, a 25% increase from 2015. The fast-paced growth of mcommerce in the UK is projected to surpass £42.5 billion ($56 Billion) by 2020 and is an essential component to help make up for declining traditional retail sales.
Getting the smartphone shopping experience right is becoming more vital than ever. The number of Mobile Shoppers has more than doubled between 2013 and 2015. While smartphones currently make up only 35.4% of UK mobile commerce spending, by 2020 this is forecasted to account for 52% of spending and £22.1 billion ($29.2 billion) sales.
To keep up with consumer demands and not fall behind other brands, retailers need to ramp up their multi-touchpoint shopping experience. The surge of device-laden shoppers, especially in Europe, over the last few years means retailers should audit their current personalization program to ensure it’s meeting the needs of their shoppers.
Here are 3 areas retailers should focus on:
1. Providing a consistent experience across all touchpoints – The rise of the super shopper emphasizes the need to ensure all touchpoints deliver a consistent and integrated experience. Check out this recent SlideShare on creating A Phased Approach to Omnichannel Personalization.
2. Digitizing the in-store shopping experience – Some retailers are beginning to shift their models from “selling” to “serving” their customers in the store. Savvy retailers are already leveraging smart devices in-store to connect to online shopper data allowing them to provide a better experience.
3. Enabling the “browser” – The researching shopper remains an important segment for retailers. Many consumers research high-consideration products online before ultimately buying in-store. By understanding the typical purchase journey for such products, retailers can prioritize developing digital content to aid customers in the research process for categories where it’s most influential.