MOBILE – a big buzz at WRC. Everyone’s got at least one

Design the mall for a great experience and make sure you build mobile into it as our kids spend minimum 6 hours on the phone a day, and they’re fast.

H.E. Mohamed Ali Rashed Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties

The high street’s in a bit of a mess. Shopper habits are changing. Online is the future. Amazon’s a massive competition. Heard it all before? Agree? Well, it’s time for the store to rise up and fight back. One of the best things that happened to the high street is the mobile phone.

You can look at a whole range of products in a store – it’s a great big showroom. People want experiential retail. It’s a bit of a pain sending all those online products back. 85% of people take their mobile phone shopping and they use it to check prices, get special offers and buy more than they would if they didn’t have one. A recent research from Google Think Insights shows the power of mobile.

10 mobile facts you need to know

1. 84% of mobile shoppers use their phones in stores to conduct research, compare products and buy online
2. 75% of shoppers across a wide range of categories use their mobile to shop
3. Top 4 things people use their smartphone in store are: 53% – price comparison, 39% – finding offers and promotions, 36% – searching locations of other stores, 35% – finding store opening hours
4. 25-50% bigger basket – shoppers who spend more time on their mobile are likely to spend more money
5. 82% of smartphone shoppers use a mobile search to make their buying decisions
6. 1 in 3 consumers will use their smartphones to find information rather than ask a store assistant
7. 51% of shoppers use their smartphones to save time
8. 53% search prices
9. 65% shoppers prefer mobile sites to apps
10. #1 use of mobile in-store is Search

Perhaps, most importantly, mobile is a great way for retailers to connect with their consumers across their favourite channels even when they’re in a different shop.