While mobile shopping is getting increasingly widespread, many catalogue companies – especially in the US – are starting to demonstrate how catalogue based apps are offering a much better user experience than either m-web and traditional apps.
The 2013 Digital Publishing Report: Retail Apps & Buying Habits – Adobe’s US based survey of 1,003 consumers who use a smartphone and/or tablet – reveals that retail and catalog apps are rapidly catching up to mobile browsers as a viable shopping channel: nearly half of all mobile shoppers are interested in using apps instead of a mobile browser (45% of tablet shoppers and 49% of smartphone shoppers).
Smartphone shoppers cite the slow speed of browsers and the ease of navigation on apps as reasons for their interest in using apps and digital catalogs. Of people who don’t currently shop on mobile devices, one in four intends to use mobile apps to shop in 2013.
Industry leaders like ASOS and Sotheby’s are among those who have used Digital Publishing Suite to engage customers and clients with tablet and smartphone apps – and for good reason. With increased opportunities for brand interaction and engagement, it’s no surprise that 38% of tablet shoppers and 42% of smartphone shoppers responded that app interactions strengthened their connection to the brand.
Finally, the survey results show that purchasing behavior is most influenced by a recommendation from a trusted friend, which creates the need for social sharing features in retail apps and catalogs – such as sharing products, reviews and news – to be effective in driving purchases and app downloads.
