As many as 11% of retailers said they expect over 50% of online sales to be made on a smartphone or tablet device by the end of this year, according to the latest IMRG e-Retail Survey published today. This figure is up from just 4% in 2013, when the last e-Retail Survey was conducted, highlighting the growing importance of the mobile channel for UK e-retailers.
“Mobile continues to dominate the e-retail landscape, with sales via mobile devices now accounting for a third of UK e-retail sales,” Tina Spooner, Chief Information Officer at IMRG, says. “The latest survey results also reveal that mobile has a key part to play in the multichannel retail environment, with three-quarters of high street / multichannel retailers now having a mobile-optimised website, compared with just over half of pureplay merchants.
“With an increasing number of consumers now using their mobile devices to browse and compare products while in-store, it is no surprise that mobile has become an integral part of retailers’ multichannel strategies,” she continues.
“Our latest survey results also reveal an increasing optimism among retailers around their expectations of online sales growth during 2014. While almost all merchants surveyed said they expect to see positive year-on-year sales growth, a significant proportion (42%) forecast sales growth to reach in excess of 20%”.
The latest survey also finds that 72% of e-retailers surveyed offer international delivery – this is unchanged from October 2013’s findings. This rises to 88% for clothing and apparel retailers.
In addition, around two thirds (67%) of multichannel retailers surveyed now offer Click & Collect, a significant increase from 54% in October. The convenience of Click & Collect and certainty of not missing deliveries encourages customers to opt for this method, enhancing the overall customer experience.
