Mobile to attract big investments from retailers in the next five years

Informa’s latest research indicates that many retailers are now making significant investments to integrate mobile into their in-store, online and call-centre operations.

Some big retailers, such as Walmart and Marks & Spencer (M&S), are investing to develop in-house expertise and resources to support their mobile strategies, while many others are fully outsourcing their mobile integration needs to specialist IT and marketing firms providing managed services.

Considering the strong growth in smartphone adoption and the increase in mobile usage by shoppers for locating stores, product reviews, price comparison and discount vouchers, the risks are now considerably high for retailers not developing a mobile strategy. On the other hand, retailers that are embracing mobile in a smart and timely manner will gain a competitive advantage.

“Being accessible across the variety of channels is becoming increasingly important for retailers. Retailers that proactively provide up-to-date information about their products, services, prices and store locations on mobile devices will benefit from first-mover advantages”, says Shailendra Pandey, the author of the report.

Argos and eBay have announced a partnership where online shoppers will be able to order items from eBay and pick them up from Argos shops. This indicates the growing need, even for online retailers, to offer greater convenience and multiple fulfilment options to their customers.

Most retailers are reporting that there is strong growth in the traffic to their sites coming from mobile devices, and many believe that mobile will have the biggest impact on their business in the next 2-5 years. Informa Telecoms & Media believes that more than a billion users will be buying physical goods and services via their mobile phones by 2016.

About the report M-Commerce Strategy for Retailers
Informa’s report (www.informatandm.com/mcommerceretailers) analyses what high-street retailers must consider when developing their mobile and digital strategies. It assesses the mobile investment priorities for high-street retailers and the potential ROI and cost savings they can expect from investing in mobile and digital platforms. It also analyses the business case for MNOs to enable m-commerce services for the retailers.
 
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Bethan Casey,
PR and Marketing
Informa Telecoms & Media
Email: pr.enquiries@informa.com
Tel: + 44 (0) 2070 174 994

About Informa Telecoms & Media
Informa Telecoms & Media (www.informatandm.com) is the leading provider of business intelligence and strategic services to the global telecoms and media markets.