The latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index – based upon six quarters of online retail data – demonstrates that average sales via mobile leapt up from 0.4% at the beginning of 2010 to 3.3% in Q2 2011, as confidence in the channel grows and mobile sites become more sophisticated. The highest percentage of sales through mobile for participating retailers was just under 7%.
The percentage of visits via mobile is also increasing, from an average of 1.4% in Q1 2010/11 to 7% in the latest quarter. The rate of mobile visits is as high as 12% for some retailers.
In a sign that retailer sites are becoming more engaging for consumers, both checkout and basket abandonment rates have dropped over the last six quarters, from 37% to 32% and 63% to 59% respectively.
David J Smith, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at IMRG, explains: “Mobile has been discussed for a while now as an important channel for retailers to engage through, and with some retailers having up to 12% of their traffic coming through that channel, its popularity among consumers is clear. The Quarterly Index provides invaluable data for retailers that can greatly assist with spend decisions, for example revealing the best periods in the year for ROI and how your bounce rates compare with your competitors. This Index is open to retailers of all sizes and sectors and can perform an important role in helping to shape marketing strategies.”
Chris Webster, head of retail consulting and technology at Capgemini, adds: ““This Quarterly Index provides us with a unique set of data from online retailers. It allows us to monitor specific aspects of a business and discover emerging trends in consumer interaction, which ultimately provides retailers with the right intelligence to evolve their business accordingly.
“The report has revealed that the average basket abandonment rate for UK e-retailers is currently 59%. If we consider this in a physical sense, we can see how alarmingly high this figure is – if three fifths of shoppers, having chosen and queued, walked away from the till, shop keepers would clearly act. Likewise online businesses need to be similarly concerned and follow the example of the major eRetailers, such as Amazon. Clarity of pricing and delivery charges is essential, so there are no surprises at the checkout, and one click ordering is a very effective way to streamline the process through the checkout.”
