3:17PM November 14 2011
Fashion retailers put their best foot forward when it comes to smartphone shopping
According to fashion blogger Rina Hansen, recent Forrester research has found that fashion consumers are amongst the top users of smartphones and now have an expectation to be able to interact with their favourite brands on the go (we’re searching for the original Forrester report to share and will update this post as soon as we find it). According to the report 15% of fashion ecommerce will happen via a mobile phone in 2013, and so retailers keen to capitalise on this boom need to consider its ability to offer a seamless, engaging mobile site. Topshop’s recent news that they have seen a higher proportion of sales via mobile phone than the industry average for retailers echoes this statement. The high street retailer has seen its mobile sales grow by three to four times this year, with eight per cent of all of its online sales coming through mobile channels.
ASOS and New Look are just two other examples of large retailers investing a healthy proportion of its budgets into a dedicated m-commerce strategy, ensuring its customers have the confidence to make a purchase via their mobile phone and that the user experience is of the same quality as using the full site. Both outlets highlight the importance of offering customers the ability to seamlessly shop with them, regardless of which channel they choose.
However, fashion retailers shouldn’t just become complacent with the development of a mobile-optimised site. With such a fast-shifting landscape, and the mainstream introduction of the iPad, it is vital that the mobile channel is regularly enhanced with new features, to help drive customer engagement to encourage repeat visitors. Examples include 3D rotations and zooming of product images to provide an even more in-depth customer experience, creation of mobile optimized newsletters and the integration of mobile activity with offline activity and in-store initiatives to help drive footfall and face-to-face engagement.
And don’t be fooled into believing that smartphone shopping is just for the younger generation. Whilst it is still most popular with 18-24yr olds, more than a third of over 55’s have also made a mobile purchase.
But if you still aren’t convinced, IBM has just announced that an unprecedented 15 percent of people in the US will be logging on to a retailer’s website this Christmas via mobile device. IBM’s advice for retailers? “In response, savvy retailers must invest in delivering hyper-personalised, smarter commerce shopping experiences that are capable of building loyalty through multiple channels with exceptionally relevant promotions, free shipping and more.”
But what’s your experience of mobile-optimised sites? Are there any fashion retailers you feel are leading the way when it comes to m-commerce?
