There is no denying the power of mobile technology as a disruptor in the retail industry. Those marketers recognize that a mobile device in the hands of a customer or associate holds tremendous opportunities to enhance the customer experience in the store.
According to new research from retail management consulting firm BRP, 85 percent of consumers have purchased a product via a mobile app, and 33 percent frequently purchase via their mobile device. Whether browsing or buying, mobile shopping will continue to grow as 41 percent of consumers in the study indicate they plan to increase their shopping frequency on their phone or tablet in the next 24 months.
“As customers become more comfortable and proficient with utilizing mobile technology and researching information on their own, retailers need to offer expanded customer-facing mobile services to enhance the shopping experience,” said Marty Whitmore, SVP and practice lead at BRP, in a news release. “The proliferation of tablets and mobile phones provides new opportunities for retailers to enhance customer service by offering store associates tools to ‘keep up’ with the abundance of information that customers have at their fingertips. Associates can use mobile devices to answer customer questions, provide personalized recommendations, locate products and complete the transaction anywhere in the store.”
The new BRP report is based on findings from the BRP Consumer Studyand the 2019 POS/Customer Engagement Survey and offers insights into how mobile devices are changing the consumer shopping journey. Highlights include: