Retailers are continuing their dedication to mobile tools
There has been a lot of buzz in recent years about the shift in the retail market toward mobile applications, online sales, and other mobile services. The development of new and effective mobile technology such as smart phones and tablets has allowed retailers to reach out to customers in new and more convenient ways. That’s why retailers have put in some significant investment into the mobile market over the past handful of years. For many, it has truly paid off – retailer apps and other mobile concerns are improving business practices and helping to keep pace with the ever-changing environment of customer purchasing. Mobile Commerce Daily recently released an article with some up-to-date numbers on retailers and the mobile industry, saying:
“With mobile engagement becoming a cornerstone of retail operations, 60 percent of retailers are planning to maintain their investment levels in mobile for 2013, while 38 percent plan to increase it, according to a new survey from BDO. For a similar survey conducted by BDO in 2011, 54 percent of retailer chief financial officers were planning to increase their investment in mobile while 44 percent said the level would stay the same. This year’s results suggest that retailers’ investment levels for mobile are beginning to level off as they begin to focus more heavily on what is working and stepping away from what is not.”
It’s no surprise that investment at this point in time is not as heavy as it has been in the past couple of years. After all, the market for apps and app development is starting to level out and refinements to the technology are becoming smaller in scope than when the hardware first became available.
Still, it is promising to see that the vast majority of retailers intend to maintain or improve their investment into the mobile industry. The numbers certainly show that mobile is here to stay, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see additional retailers deciding to put more effort into mobile concerns as the year goes on.
