Although tech fanatics may prophesy the end of the physical retail shop, big-box stores and small businesses alike are holding their own in many markets. Retailers can't ignore growing consumer reliance on technology like mobile apps and convenient website features like Internet shopping carts, though. Those keeping an eye on retail trends know that success means learning to incorporate a variety of sales methods into retail models.
It's not surprising that Amazon's retail mobile apps score high with consumers, but companies like CVS, Walgreens, and Nordstrom garnered similarly favorable ratings for apps, according to research conducted by Xtreme Labs in January 2013. Not every major retailer is doing it right; according to the same survey, companies that include Kohl's and Giant Eagle rack up between 70 and 80 percent negative ratings for their mobile apps. It's important for businesses of all sizes to understand retail trends and what consumers want to see with regard to mobile resources. According to the Xtreme Labs study, consumers want features that deliver benefits, apps that are easy to use on the go, and reliability. One of the big complaints in the survey had to do with apps that crashed frequently.
An obvious function of mobile apps for retailers is sales. The growing number of consumers who use smartphones or tablets as a primary Internet tool means online retailers must keep pace with the market. Users want to be able to access products via mobile devices and make secure purchases, so it's important for retailers to do the research to determine what customers most need in order to make an informed purchase. Product images that show up well on smaller mobile screens, touchscreen interfacing with minimal data entry, scrollable screens, and limited click-through requirements are just some of the features that make a retail website or mobile app user-friendly.
Retailers don't need to limit themselves to mobile shopping apps to gain ground with on-the-go consumers. Businesses of all sizes are seeing success with mobile apps used in marketing and branding. Hasbro understands the value of creative branding via mobile apps; the toy company recently launched a new Transformers-based game that's available in Apple's app store and on Google Play. Hasbro is using mobile technology—in conjunction with other marketing efforts—to sustain a global brand. Smaller businesses can use mobile applications to create a brand, market to local consumers, or provide added value to customers. Businesses that don't have the resources to launch proprietary apps should pay attention to mobile trends and make use of apps like Foursquare to drive brand recognition.
Whether you use existing applications to drive consumers to your retail location or embrace mobile apps to increase online sales, one thing's for certain: consumers are better connected and more mobile than ever, and retail companies that don't keep pace will be left far behind.
(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)
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