Majority Of App Users Ready For Holiday M-Commerce, Could Punish M-Laggards

M-ShoppingAs retailers online and off ramp up their mobile efforts for what promises to be the hottest m-shopping season yet this holiday, consumers are more willing than ever to buy products via their devices this year. According to a survey of 2,200 U.S. adults by API platform Apigee and Harris Interactive, 57% of mobile app users say they would consider making holiday purchases on their mobile devices.

In fact, retailers should be forewarned that users themselves are bringing mobile expectations to the holiday shopping game, with 54% saying that the absence of a mobile-friendly presence by a retailer may have consequences. Almost a third of those surveyed said the lack of a retail mobile site or app might lead to a wasted trip to store that didn’t have what the buyer wanted.   

The hot list of categories most likely to see m-purchasing by consumers is not surprising, but impressive. When asked to consider which kinds of gifts they would buy via devices, almost a third of app users were interested in m-commerce.

 

Books    32%

Electronics          31%

Gift Cards            27%

DVDs/Blu-ray Discs        26%

Clothing               24%

Toys       20%

 

Proximity, pricing and bargain hunting appear to be key drivers of m-commerce among consumers, according to the research. When asked to define the advantages of m-shopping and m-commerce, app users cited most often (50%) the power to browse for deals anywhere, while almost as many (48%) liked the ability to run price comparisons in-store. More than a third (40%) felt store locators were a mobile benefit, and 38% were looking to redeem e-coupons.

In addition to being concerned that they might miss out on deals because their retailers are not m-savvy, 19% of consumers also felt that the absence of mobile-ready sites makes the merchant seem “old-fashioned.”   

 

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