Retailer apps spike in popularity
The advent of the smart phone has brought on an entirely new way of thinking about how to handle our daily needs and plans. We can now navigate unfamiliar areas with the touch of a button, access a wealth of information through the web, play games, watch videos, and perform all sorts of tasks through the use of a diverse market of applications. Retailers have put out their own apps that offer customers a chance to look at and purchase products as well as many other features. A recent study has found that the popularity of these retail applications has increased dramatically over the past year. The study by Flurry was published on Tech Crunch recently, where the reporter explains:
“Flurry, the mobile analytics startup, looked at about 1,800 iOS and Android apps from December 2011 to December of last year. They also broke it down into five other categories including Retailer Apps, Price Comparison, Purchase Assistant, Online Marketplace and Daily Deals. Time spent in apps overall grew by 132 percent year-over-year…”
So what is it about the apps that is picking up traction? For one, availability is a factor. As smart phones become more and more prevalent, more customers have access to the apps themselves. Additionally, some of the credit should be given to the way the apps are marketed and how consumer opinion has changed and grown over time. At first, it probably seems strange to do your shopping from a mobile application – but when the convenience of the technology is made clear, it seems to be a natural progression.
It will be exciting to see where the retail industry goes next with its technology!