Interactive Retail

Until recently, retailers could reasonably assume that if they just lured shoppers to stores with enticing specials, the customers could be coaxed into buying more profitable stuff, too. Now, marketers must contend with shoppers who can use their smartphones inside stores to check whether the specials are really so special, and if the rest of the merchandise is reasonably priced. "The retailer's advantage has been eroded," says Greg Girard of consultancy IDC Retail Insights, which recently found that roughly 45% of customers with smartphones had used them to perform due diligence on a store's prices. "The four walls of the store have become porous."

The survey also indicated that the overwhelming majority of smartphone users, 73%, prefer using their device to handle simple in-store tasks rather than interacting with an employee (the study doesn't specify which in-store tasks). It also indicated that 71% of smartphone users prefer using their device to identify a store with a desired item in stock, compared with 17% who would prefer to obtain such information from an employee.

A very small group are actually driving the majority of mobile shopping. In fact, that group – dubbed “heavy mobile users” by the speakers – generate ten times more shopping than “light users.” Whether it’s looking up a store’s location or accessing gift guides, the heavy users group has led the way. Nonetheless, the speakers warned, the future growth will come from light mobile users who will have a very different outlook.