Search
Close this search box.

Half of US shoppers use mobile apps while shopping in store

This is an archived article - we have removed images and other assets but have left the text unchanged for your reference

Predictions as to how mobile will reshape in-store retail and customer experience are proving prescient, with a study in the US showing that 57% of shoppers are already using mobile apps to enhance their in-store experience.

Yes Marketing’s newly released report, Surviving the Retail Apocalypse, finds that 65% of consumers use apps in stores to redeem coupons, 57% to find coupons and 46% to find sale items.

The findings suggest an imperative for retailers to deliver a multichannel experience that drives more mobile users to shop in-store and promotes customer loyalty.

However, while mobile commerce is becoming the new norm, only 33% of consumers prefer to make purchases on smartphones. Instead, they would rather use tablet and desktop (49%) for a more frictionless experience.

“To survive the retail apocalypse, retailers need to prioritize the mobile experience,” explains Jim Sturm, president of Yes Marketing. “Consumers will not hesitate to turn to  another brand if it offers a more user-friendly experience. Retailers can bridge the mobile-to-store experience by introducing apps that support the in-store shopping with features like maps of store layouts and access to product ratings.”

The report also revealed that retailers are still struggling to improve the overall mobile experience. An equal number of consumers prefer desktop over mobile because it’s faster to make purchases or easier to comparison shop, indicating that brands still struggle to make the mobile experience seamless.

“As consumer preferences continue to evolve, retailers need to adopt the right technology to meet their expectations,” says Michael Iaccarino, CEO and chairman of Infogroup, parent company of Yes Marketing. “Retailers should identify the right technology and services partner if they want to deliver a convenient, seamless shopping experience that can increase both customer lifetime loyalty and revenue.”

Looking more widely at the in-store shopping experience, the study goes on to find that Half of respondents (49%) say visually appealing stores would motivate them to shop at a brick-and-mortar location. 

Centennials are more likely than all other generations to shop in stores for visually appealing displays (58%), while Millennials are most interested in local events (36%) and additional services (42%). 

Nearly all consumers (90%) purchase in stores at least monthly, and 60% say they shop in stores because they want to see items in person.

Read More

Register for Newsletter

Group 4 Copy 3Created with Sketch.

Receive 3 newsletters per week

Group 3Created with Sketch.

Gain access to all Top500 research

Group 4Created with Sketch.

Personalise your experience on IR.net