Mobile and Omnichannel for Retailers

Three stories around mobile have caught my eye today and are worth reading. If you are a retailer in the United States and don't have a mobile strategy you are falling behind faster than ever.

First up is the evolution of mobile devices and how that impacts retailers:

https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/02/05/are-slowing-sales-tablets-harbinger-mobile-changes-co

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Tablet sales are slowing, tablets and PCs are converging, and smartphones are getting bigger. How will these changes, and the ones to come, impact how retailers measure mobile results and set their strategies?

In the fourth quarter of 2013, global shipments of tablets from manufacturers to retailers were still speeding along at 20% year-over-year growth, according to mobile and emerging technologies research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics Inc. In the fourth quarter of 2014, however, growth in tablet shipments worldwide just about came to a screeching halt, a mere 1%, the research firm says.

Next up is a Shop.org/Forrester piece stating retailers are making all things mobile their #1 priority for 2015:

http://www.chainstoreage.com/article/mobile-top-retailer-priority-2015-according-shoporgforrester

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Mobile is the top priority for retailers in 2015, according to the 2015 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc., State of Retailing Online, with 58% of surveyed retailers placing it at the top of their list, up from 53% last year.

The survey found smartphone sales as a percentage of online sales grew from 8% in 2013 to 12% in 2014, an increase of 50%. Tablets’ share of the pie also grew from 13% of online sales in 2013 to 16% in 2014.

At the same time, digital marketing budgets remain modest.

Finally is MultiChannelMerchant with a piece stating consumers demand an omnichannel experience:

http://multichannelmerchant.com/executive-summary/2015-forecast-customers-demand-an-omnichannel-experience-25112014/?lc=1

Here is a snippet from that piece:

The message in 2015 for merchants is simple: if you haven’t developed an omnichannel strategy, develop one now. And if you have an omnichannel strategy in place, continue to refine it.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant