Why Your Retail Strategy For Driving In-Store Sales Should Include Mobile
A dramatic shift is happening in the retail industry where a company’s brick and mortar world and their digital world can no longer be viewed as separate. A customer’s shopping journey involves both, which means businesses need to focus on providing a great customer experience across all channels, whether it be online or offline. Someone interacting with your brand on their mobile phone while eating breakfast may be in your store before lunch – no longer browsing, but ready to buy.
In fact, according to Deloitte Digital research study Navigating the New Digital Divide, “in a world where nearly everyone is online, there is no offline. So it’s not about digital business. It’s just business.” With phone in hand, consumers are always-on and always connected. Are you reaching them where they are?
Consumers are increasingly using their mobile phones to search for store locations, get pricing, check product availability, reviews and ratings, find deals and send payments. But digital and mobile influence begins even earlier along the path to purchase, with consumers looking at their phones for ideas and inspiration as well. All these interactions are not only driving consumers to a company’s online and mobile sites, but also to their physical locations. And once inside the store, consumers are continuing to engage on their phones, whether it be to take pictures for Instagram ,use mobile coupons or text to join a retailer’s VIP text club.
Digital and Mobile Influence on In-Store Sales (source: Deloitte Digital)
The message for retailers looking to drive in-store sales is clear. According to Deloitte Digital, close to $1 Trillion of retail in-store sales was influenced by mobile in 2014. Your mobile strategy should not be limited to treating mobile as distinct and separate from your brick and mortar operations. Mobile plays a key role in driving brand awareness, traffic and sales in-store. While some call it the bridge that connects the digital and physical retail worlds, it is fast becoming more of a doorway into a single, unified customer buying experience across all channels.
What is your in-store mobile strategy?
Interested in learning more about incorporating SMS into your mobile retail strategy? Call us at 800-696-1393 or email tmsales@textmarks.com.
