Use of online shopping baskets is being booming – and it’s all fuelled by mobile.
In the UK, online basket creation is up 26% year over year and phones are the primary driver of this trend, with the percentage of shoppers adding an item to a cart via a mobile up 15% year on year, according to the Q2 2015 Shopping Index from Demandware.
Retailers in the UK have seen the largest boost in phone orders – with 25% of all transactions coming via phone, a 45% increase year over year. UK consumers are also buying on tablets, with tablet order share in the UK rising to 24% in Q2 2015, which is 7% higher than in the US, France or Germany. Conversely France and the US experienced the lowest rate of tablet orders globally with only 12% and 14%, respectively.
With wish lists now at their fingertips, shoppers are able to access saved items whenever they like, says the report. This means there is an opportunity for retailers to turn previously idle moments into a time for customers to make a spontaneous purchase from their basket through the use of personalised offers.
As a result the mobile is playing an increasing part in the overall shopping process no matter what the channel used to actual buy is. That said, PC still accounts for 56% of purchases, suggesting that mobile is a research and browsing tool, where goods are dropped into the basket for review at a later date on a computer where the purchase decision is made.
“Reflecting this, Demandware is advising retailers that it is essential for brands to seamlessly integrate mobile into their global commerce strategies to help drive growth, but that local preferences and behaviours must be considered when entering new markets,” says Rick Kenney, industry principal at Demandware.
“What’s clear from this quarter’s data is the relentless move towards phones for browsing and purchasing,” adds Elana Anderson, SVP worldwide marketing, Demandware. “As we move into the peak shopping season, retailers must enable personalisation at every touch point – whether on mobile, online, in-store or on a social platform. The winning brands and retailers will crack the code to best engage with their mobile shoppers via highly personalised content and promotions no matter where they are in the world.”
