Around 72% of UK retailers have multiple mobile presences, but a third are failing to offer consumers a seamless cross platform service, according to research by Ampersand Commerce. Currys, Carphone Warehouse, Homebase and lastminute.com are amongst the retailers that are not delivering cross channel integration, the study says.
Only 33% of retailers in the travel sector provide this seamless experience, whereas 89% of department stores have invested in cross channel integration. This means shoppers can’t place an item in their online shopping basket and continue the same shopping mission via mobile. The research also found that very few retailers rely solely on one mobile platform – 16% of retailers only have a mobile website while 12% only have an app.
Out of the top 100 UK retailers, only one is yet to have a mobile web or app presence – Superdrug.
According to IMRG, 58% of online shoppers abandoned their cart before purchasing in 2012, while a number of customers may make several visits to a website across different channels before making the purchase. Today’s research is evidence that retailers need to improve the experience for customers to avoid cart abandonment.
Darryl Adie, Managing Director at Ampersand Commerce, explains: “Mobile traffic is still the biggest growth channel for most retailers and is critical to a seamless customer experience. Without integration across all channels, retailers are missing a big opportunity to grow revenues and drive brand loyalty.”
Consumer confidence in buying goods via a smartphone or tablet has spurred the demand for a mobile centric approach. According to the latest IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales figures, mcommerce grew by 81% year on year from December 2012 to December 2013.
Adie adds: “Investing in mobile commerce is now critical in all sectors, retailers that haven’t made the jump will continue to feel the pressure from competitors as consumers continue to demand more joined-up interactions. The most successful retailers are creating and maintaining a consistent, high quality experience for customers, no matter the channel.”
