Mobile Commerce Minute: Recent Episodes
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If 2014 was the year of beacon awareness and 2015 was the year of the rollout, will 2016 be the year of beacon revenue? If so, how will they earn and for which industries will they earn for? Chuck highlights a recent ABIresearch study that shows this but then offers his own thoughts on where the REAL revenue will come from.
Tata Consultancy Services released a massive global trend study called "Internet of Things: The Complete Reimaginative Force" and it is crammed with incredible insight into this emerging world. In this episode we pull out the 5 success factors for media and entertainment companies. Here's the list.
Sony announced they are entering the drone business - not to sell them but to rent them out as a service to other companies. Are they becoming the Hertz of the drone industry? That's for another episode. Today we focus on how this announcement fits into the Internet of Everything ecosystem - which involves sensors and robots...
On this inaugural episode of the show we lay the groundwork for the size and scope of the coming era of the Internet of Everything. IC Insights provides some incredible numbers of "things" that will be connected to the Internet within the next few years. Chuck and I explore what this means now and where the opportunities are for businesses to participate. Humans, beware: We are slipping down the population food chain...
Chrysler ran into a PR nightmare this week with the controlled hack of a Jeep while it was cruising along the highway. They managed to mess around with the air conditioning and stereo and then shut down the engine - all while the helpless driver panicked. The significance cannot be overlooked as we enter a new world of connected everything AND as congress looks at controlling the messages (read: advertising) and data that can infiltrate and be collected while we drive our cars. This surely won't help ease everyone's mind will it? The outcome from this little Wired experiment (found here) is a recall of 1.4 million Jeeps. As Chuck details in this special episode, this can only help move the industry along...
There is a harsh reality in the retail industry right now, we don't shop every moment of every single day. I know, hard to believe it's true but it is. This makes the likelihood of consumers downloading an app (and keeping it downloaded) very low. Chuck explains why in this episode and highlights a recent study by Forrester aptly named "Customers will not download your app." Catchy (unless you are a retailer).
It isn't complicated. In fact, it comes down to 2 things. These two simple things that customers want inside a retailer's mobile app are defined in the most recent UPS Pulse of the Online Shopper report done by Comscore. In this episode, Chuck extracts the most important mobile pieces from the report and hands us a checklist of the things retailers need to start doing right now in order to succeed with their mobile strategy. You are welcome...
Mobile commerce is getting big. How big? Great question. Chuck takes us around the world to give us the answer. First to the UK, then Korea, Italy, China and the US. Lots of "billions" being tossed around in this episode...
Perhaps it is true that we only use a fraction of our human brain because we haven't mastered how the rest work. The same could be said about the sensors inside our smartphones as well - until now. Former Thinknear founder Eli Portnoy has launched his latest startup, Sense360, and he wants to help developers tap into all the sensors that are already live inside of our smartphones. Chuck helps us understand why that's important and how it could be used for good.
Wearables can be a confusing world. On one hand (punny) we wear them in hopes that they streamline our lives, make us healthier and bring our eyes away from the constant glow of the smartphone screen. On the other hand we are all trying to figure out how they can and should impact our business. There is a fine line between helpful and annoying - especially when it comes to something that we choose to wear on our bodies. Have no fear, Chuck sat down with Travis Bogard of Jawbone to get his take on the wearable revolution and, thankfully, it doesn't involve sending ads to our wrists...
Adoption for mobile payments happens when it hits on something that lots of people do every single day. Buying a chocolate bar or a lottery ticket doesn't cut it, neither do groceries. Starbucks has nailed it and so to has the Mass Bay Transportation Authority. Lots of people take the bus every single day. Could the bus be the tipping point for mass adoption of mobile commerce? Watch on to understand why we think so.
If you are wondering where all the money is being invested into and earning from in mobile we have the answer: Mobile Commerce. It has taken in almost 50% of all investment money and is slated to dominate earnings for years to come. Just how big is it? Chuck answers that question based on a new Digi-Capital study. Hint: It's big and getting bigger.
We highlight the top 3 monstrous obstacles to mobile payment adoption in this episode based on the results of a study by the Mercator Advisory Group. However, there is a fourth obstacle and it is something Chuck says as the final word of this episode - it starts with the letter "v". Watch on to find out.
Now there is no excuse. Mobile payments are upon us as every major smartphone operating system and platform will have the capability to make a payment by years end. The latest is Google's announcement of Android Pay at Google IO. We take this opportunity to lay out the main players - both in software and hardware - as it finally looks like the earth will be blanketed by the tech to enable mobile payments. The question is when do the consumers latch on...
A year ago beacons were the rage. Today they are a reality and the lessons that have been learned during the first real year of beacon implementations are many. Chuck had an opportunity to moderate a recent panel that featured 4 of the top beacon minds in retail and he summarizes what they have learned in this episode.
There are gaps in the way retailers implement their mobile strategies. Take, for instance, the results from the Mobile Payments and Fraud 2015 report highlighted in this episode. Chuck identifies where the opportunities exist between how merchants are using mobile and how consumers are interested in using mobile with those merchants. The gaps are wide and the opportunities are bountiful - provided it becomes a priority.
Fighting the tyranny of the average - that's how Lucinda Duncalfe describes our current mobile and digital state and she is not far off. At a recent event, Chuck had an opportunity to sit with the Monetate CEO to talk about her 5 levels of the path to personalization and here is the result.
NFC hoopla reached a fevered pitch right before Apple finally announced support for the tap-to-do-stuff technology. Since then it seems to have hit a silent stride in the market beyond the initial feeling it would be yet another mobile payment platform. Chuck stopped by the NFC Forum in Boston and was treated to a number of seriously cool examples of what NFC can and will be doing for us in the near future.
This isn't new. The idea that time & location married with supply & demand brings untold opportunity has been around since long before mobile, the Internet, computers and electricity. What is different today is the fact all 4 of those things are at our disposal all the time and with it comes the ability to provide on demand relevancy. How does this work? Chuck explains it all in this episode. The key takeaways are that it does work and it does drive higher revenue. Period.
There's a number for you. Mobile now influences $1 trillion of in-store sales. This is according to the most recent survey results from Deloitte Digital. Navigating the New Digital Divide highlights the growing importance of tracking the entire mobile shopping journey and not just the transaction as many other studies do. Mobile influences much more than payments and this proves that in spades. Chuck highlights the results in this episode.
Banking has always been among the first services that we all seem to adopt as technology evolves. First it was the web - can you imagine a world without Internet banking today? Now it is mobile. It seems that the utility of having access to our accounts on our mobile devices is something that most of us can't and won't live without. For your viewing pleasure, Chuck highlights the top mobile banking things we do from our smartphones.
The industry surrounding the Internet of Things will be worth $8 trillion according to a recent report by Cisco and DHL. While a good portion of that value will be in hardware and software, Chuck explains how all of those connected pieces will lead to massive gains in mobile commerce revenue as well.
Mobile is becoming more and more a part of the buying process. It now accounts for 27% of global online payments and is not slowing down. In fact, that number is up 5% from the previous quarter. All this is from the Ayden Mobile Payments Index for the first quarter of 2015. Chuck offers some of the key findings in this episode.
I'm not sure there are any mobile influence deniers left out there but after the results from the Performance Index from MarketLive there should be very little doubt about it. The study - highlighted here by Chuck - shows the incredible growth in mobile visits and sales to retailers that have committed to mobile.
From big to small to big again. This is the path that we have taken with the phones in our pocket. We started with phones that required a car to carry the battery and clamoured for more portability. Just when our prayers were answered - and so much more - we are once again looking at our phones getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Chuck highlights the stats from a Flurry study about global phone size as I long for my Startac...
MCX - the Merchant Customer Exchange - has brought together many of the top retail brands on the planet to offer up a unique mobile commerce platform but things seem to be fraying at the edges. In the span of 48 hours the service, beta-testing somewhere unknown, has lost one of their big brands and their CEO. What does this mean for their future? Chuck offers us some insight and, perhaps, their destination...
If you ask every smartphone user on the planet if they've played a game on their phone, the majority (as in the GREAT majority) will say they have. Ask those same people if they've paid for a game on their phone and the number shrinks. If you ask those same people what game they've paid for there will be a handful of household names that will emerge - we'll call those guys the winners. This is the competitive world of mobile gaming where millions of dollars are poured into games with a 0.2% chance of being successful. This according to a recent study by Swrve called the Swrve Monetization Report.
Chuck brings the key mobile game monetization numbers to light in this episode. Hold on to your lunch if you are a game developer. The odds are long but the rewards - should you succeed - are beyond imagine.
A recent study by Edelman Berland on behalf of eBay Enterprise looks at where and what smaller retailers are doing and spending for mobile initiatives this year. Chuck has pulled 2 key stats from the report and discusses them in this episode.
The uses of beacons have matured in the last year and are now rolling out for many different uses across almost all industries. Chuck runs down some of the big announcements that are shaping the beacon industry including news from Swirl, Swatch, InMarket, Radius Networks, ShopKick and ShopperTrak.
Mobile's consumptive nature marches forward pretty much unabated when it comes to originating traffic. This is uncontested as the majority of us look to our smartphones and tablets as first screens these days. Traffic is one thing, but what about sales? Is the growth in sales originating from a smaller screen keeping up with the traffic? Chuck highlights the latest quarterly mobile stats from Affiliate Window that answers this question and many more.
There have been an incredible number of mobile commerce studies that have been released over the last month but have no fear - you don't have to read them all. Chuck highlights 8 key data points from these studies that you should know and he does it in under 2 minutes.
That's a crazy stat. Even crazier is that this time last year that number was at 26%. Crazier still are the people that don't do it - right? This number comes from a recent survey done by Redshift Research on behalf of Oracle - entitled Retail Without Limits. The study also highlights the things most consumers want from a mobile experience when they are shopping - nicely summarized in a 3 minute package for you here.
In-store WiFi will jump in 2015 - according to the recent Impact of Store Networks and WiFi on Customer Experience study done by IHL Group. The study focuses on a number of in-store technologies but, as you'll see in this episode, the impact of having WiFi in a place of business is hard to argue with. Also, in this episode, Chuck highlights the kinds of information companies are collecting from their WiFi users and how they are using it. Let's just say there is a lot of room for improvement both in connectivity as well as how it is used.
The mobile commerce gap is widening between retailers that get it and those that don't. The logical thinking is that a rising tide raises all ships - especially when it comes to mobile commerce and retail. Of course when the industry advances so should everyone right? Wrong. A recent study by Criteo shows that if you aren't committed to building and implementing a mobile strategy you will fall behind at a rate that, at some point, there will be no recovery from. Watch as Chuck brings these numbers to light and then, do yourself and your business a favour and commit to getting mobile right and right now.
It is one thing to capture loyalty points on mobile - which seems to be almost normal these days - but redemption is a completely different story. As Chuck details in this episode, a new study from Capgemini Consulting has brought to light the biggest gap in mobile loyalty...and it isn't earning points. If you are seeking a way to differentiate your loyalty offering from the rest, the answer is 2 minutes away.
While the mobile transaction is not the stat to focus on when it comes to the true impact of mobile commerce it is VERY hard to deny the growth in those numbers. Criteo's latest research - State of Mobile Commerce - for Q1 of 2015 shows the incredible increase in mobile transactions and Chuck highlights it all right here.
A new study by the Global Web Index brings some incredible mobile commerce numbers and may answer the age old "app vs mobile web" question once and for all. According to the study there are over 500 million mobile shoppers globally and the largest grouping is in the coveted 16-44 year old range. Questions? Well, if that isn't enough ammunition to arm your mobile strategy, the study also lays waste to the idea that you don't need a shopping app...watch the episode to find out why.
Accenture recently published the results of their mobile retail benchmark study and, if you are a retailer, this is as close to a mobile roadmap as you could ask for. Chuck highlights 5 key numbers here that should help align strategy with consumer expectations.
First we had normal, everyday commerce, then came ecommerce and mobile commerce and now we are entering the realm of gadget commerce. Chuck takes us on a tour of the things that are emerging as payment tools - from your wrist to your wallet - the way we pay is about to change once again.
Peer to peer payments have been tried before with some success. Companies like Venmo and PayPal have been doing it for years so what is the impact of a company like Facebook entering the market? Chuck puts Facebook's move into perspective using the evolution and adoption rate of some of the other pioneering mobile payments companies and what this means for the industry as a whole.
How can NFC help sell Adidas shoes? At an OMMA conference at SXSW Jon Werner of Adidas explained the use of NFC embedded inside of their shoes and how it helps consumers find useful information before, during and after the sale. Chuck highlights the key points from his presentation here.
At the recent OMMA conference at SXSW a distinct trend emerged from the leading thinkers and practitioners of mobile tech in retail - the experience of their customers trumps the use of technology. This is welcome news as most are leading with technology and then figuring out a way for it to fit in their customer's lives. Chuck highlights what Lowe's and Alex & Ani are doing to use mobile to connect with their customers. These are great lessons as both companies are on the forefront of mobile strategy for retail.
A recent comScore study done on behalf of UPS dove deep into the global habits of mobile shoppers. The study surveyed over 19,000 people around the world and the main points that focused on mobile commerce are highlighted here by Chuck.
In case you hadn't noticed, there is a serious focus these days on mobile payments. It has become, in relative terms, much easier to add payments to an app today than ever before and companies are doing just that. There are some clear leaders emerging in Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Samsung but the fight is far from over. Chuck highlights the state of mobile payments and what the future holds for the industry. Well, the near future anyway, the rest is too hard to predict.
In case there was any doubt about the monetization strategy that works with mobile apps, Juniper Research's latest report makes it very clear. 88% of app revenue comes from in-app purchases, not at the point of sale. The other incredible number that Chuck discusses in this episode is the number of apps the average person downloads and what that means for your app strategy.
With all the focus on physical product sales from mobile, we should not forget the digital side of mobile sales - which is still growing at an incredible pace. Books, music, movies and apps are driving billions of dollars in mobile sales and are the gateway to more mobile commerce growth. Chuck highlights a recent eMarketer study that shows this growth.
Google did what everyone expected and picked up the technology that once powered the promise of Softcard (nee ISIS). Google's Wallet is now one of the new old powerhouses in mobile payments but what does the landscape look like without the carrier consortium? Still confusing and still up for grabs according to Chuck.
Another day, another study on the global growth of mobile commerce. The latest is from Ipsos on behalf of PayPal and we summarize the key findings here - including the top 3 obstacles to mobile payments.
According to a new PWC study, almost half of us have made a purchase from our phones - that is up from 30% just 2 short years ago. The study examines how often we buy from our phones and what we actually do with them during the purchase process. Chuck summarizes the key finding in under 2 minutes here. Plus, we discuss what to do about the #1 concern from consumers about using their phones to purchase product.
The path to success with beacons is not as easy as turning them on and collecting revenue. It may seem so simple on the outside but, as you'll see from this episode, to get it right requires having a comprehensive plan in place before paving a beaconed path to your customers. Chuck highlights some key takeaways from the recent MediaPost IOT: Beacons conference in Chicago featuring timeless advice from Ian Beacraft of Leo Burnett, Scott Varland from IPG Media Lab, Ben Murphy of FCBChicago and Tom Edwards from The Marketing Arm.
Mobile payments are the topic du jour but, as Chuck identifies in this episode, they are far from ubiquitous and face some steep challenges along the way.
BI Intelligence has put the first stake in the ground on the influence beacons will have on retail sales. $44 billion by 2016, up from $4 billion this year. Is this a big number? Is this a viable number? That's what we discuss in this episode.
Bonnaroo has long been a destination for music lovers and musicians alike. Over 80,000 people descend in Manchester, Tennessee in early summer for 4 days to watch some of the biggest names in music. It is also a haven for the early adoption of technology that we talk about here - RFID and beacons included. While the veneer of the event holds true to a traditional music festival, the way they use the technology is a great lesson for everyone. You see, they aren't pushing product, they are enhancing the experience. Chuck gives us the details in this episode.
Beacons are everywhere and on top of mind in every boardroom across all business types around the world. Beacons are at a point now that they just can't be ignored by anyone - even Groupon! They have announced their plans for beacons and Chuck gives us an overview on the show.
Beacons and mobile payments are emerging but the adoption rate isn't as fast because of the reason we outline in this episode. It has little to do with the technology or consumer willingness or value so what could it be?
A new study from RSR Research shows what retailers really think about how mobile can help their businesses...and it isn't great. The fact they are thinking about mobile IS great, what they hope it does for them and the area they are focusing on is NOT so great. Chuck highlights the key outcomes of the survey and then we ask the question no one seems to be asking...
Beacons have emerged as the hope of retailers across the land but the true mark of a lasting technology is how quickly it morphs and adapts to new industry. Chuck features the work of a beacon startup, Gelo, and how they are using beacons to help their clients in the industrial commercial markets. From trucking and bus transportation to museum tours - beacons are taking on new roles and proving to be tremendously useful beyond retail.
It turns out that many of us aren't buying large ticket items from our smartphones these days. A new study by Princeton Survey Research Associates on behalf of Bankrate found that only 12% of those that responded have bought big-ticket items from their mobile. Chuck gives us a rundown on the study results while I ponder why this is relevant at all...
The consumers have spoken. Well, 100,000 of them from 19 countries did in a recent study by the IBM Institute for Business Value. The study brings to light a number of important retail trends and Chuck highlights the two most pressing demands from consumers on bricks and mortar stores. We also dive into the reason why almost half of the consumers asked would give up their location but less than a third have.
There is a gap between when a technology is unveiled or launched and when/if it goes mainstream. Think back to the early web days, then the early ecommerce days and again with smartphones. There were always a few early adopters and influencers that saw the light a little before everyone else and then, almost overnight, the rest of us caught up and now they are a part of our lives. This pause between early adopters and mass market is the tech gap and that's what Chuck talks about today.
A new report from Gartner shows the profound impact that mobile is having on digital commerce. Over the next 2 years, mobile commerce will grow 28% (up from 22% today) and be on even ground with all other digital commerce revenue. Chuck dives into this, and a few other important stats from the report.
Beacons have spent their short existence in the push business. They are installed on walls, API'd in apps and notifications start rolling out. Could those same beacons be used to help understand our needs more ahead of time and be triggered just when the thing we REALLY want is within reach? One company, Taonii, things so. Here's their story on how they are turning the beacon into a personal concierge.
As more and more of us shop using our mobile we tend to use the mobile web more than mobile apps according to a survey by Siteworx. The study reveals a number of key mobile shopping metrics and Chuck highlights the most important ones in this episode including: The thing that would entice shoppers the most to download a retailer's app and how many purchases were made from their smartphone in the last month.
There is no doubt that mobile has influenced every nook and cranny of our daily rituals so why should grocery shopping be any different? Chuck highlights a recent study by Ninth Decimal that highlights the way that mobile has enhanced our shopping habits before, during and after our grocery store visits.
There are rumours floating around that Google is interested in purchasing Softcard - the mobile commerce play put together by American Express, Wells Fargo and Chase. With this in mind, Chuck takes a look at the emergence of Softcard, the potential Google acquisition and where the Merchant Exchange (MCX) fits into this equation now that Apple Pay has taken the lead in the market.
I don't think there was a single person on the planet that thought Starbucks could be the model for mobile payments and yet they are. I'm also pretty sure that no one would have predicted that they would become the most pervasive and most used mobile payments app on the planet either, yet they are. How did they do it? Chuck spells out their strategy - the things they did do and, more importantly, the things they didn't. Starbucks...who'da thunk it?
There are now 3 ways to interact with beacons today: Passive, active and requested. Chuck gives us some examples of each and helps us understand the difference between them all.
Using beacons passively is an incredible way for businesses of all types to bring knock-out service to their truly loyal customers. Chuck details an example of this he saw being demonstrated by Sapient Nitro at NRF. Hopefully this signals a shift that moves beacons beyond just pushing deals.
Will you use your new Apple Watch - or any wrist watch for that matter - to help you shop? Marsh Supermarkets is banking on it. They have equipped their stores with beacons and are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the wrist economy. Chuck highlights their strategy - which is way more sophisticated than just pushing deals.
Disruption and change were the key themes at the annual "Big Show" - NRF in New York last week. On the news that Target and Sony are closing down all their stores in Canada and the rumours of the demise of Radio Shack, Chuck offers his thoughts on what he witnessed at NRF. He also highlights the thing that no one is talking about to each other - but they are to him.
Talk about skipping forward. ShopX is giving away 1 million beacons for free because they will eventually be commodities anyway. They are also looking at beacons for a different reason as well. As Chuck details in this episode, free beacons doesn’t necessarily mean free forever but this strategy could jump start the real beacon economy.
Shopular, the mobile app company that finds you deals at your favourite stores, released their 2015 Mobile Retail Outlook Survey and it looks good for mobile shopping. Chuck summarizes and highlights the top numbers and offers insight into what retailers will need to do in order to succeed in mobile.
People use their phones in store. A lot of people. People still shop in stores. A lot of people. So what happens when you have a lot of people shopping in stores while using their smartphone? Opportunity. Chuck details a few recent eMarketer reports that paint a picture of the interplay between consumers, stores and smartphones.
When you look at mobile as a very important tool in your sales process you should see endless opportunities and paths to revenue. The question now focuses on where should you begin and what should you avoid. Those questions are answered in this episode. Chuck brings us the 7 ways to drive mobile sales and the 7 ways to kill mobile sales - all from research done by Forrester on behalf of SPS Commerce.
There was a distinctly blue layer over CES this year - as in Bluetooth. What is old is new again and bluetooth is one of those protocols that never really caught on when it arrived but it seems to now have hit its stride. Chuck explains what the importance of the emerging bluetooth ecosystem is on beacons and highlights some of the products he saw while walking the halls of the bluetooth pavilion.
At CES it is easy to overlook the seemingly now low-tech innovations that got us to where we are. Take the smartphone - that thing that over 2 billion people carry with them - how many mentions did it get? Instead, it was wearables and bluetooth and drones and beacons. Perhaps the smartphone is developing a founders complex around all the other technologies getting the limelight. Or perhaps, as Chuck lays it out here, it is now so much a part of what we do and how we do it that its name goes unsaid BECAUSE it is assumed and so important.
It's a wrap. The International CES is done for another year and with it comes Chuck's overview of what he saw and what left a lasting impression. We'll dedicate a few episodes to some of the trends and patterns that emerged from CES in the days ahead but this episode gives us first impressions on the types of products that filled the halls.
The very reason we love mobile is the very reason we should protect our device with a password or some sort of security. Think about it, the phone is the most personal device we own and 50% of us don't lock it down. Do you leave your front door open when you aren't home? Why then would you not put a password on your device? Even those of us that do use some sort of lock on our smartphones, it is often the same one that we use elsewhere - this according to a recent study by Nok Nok Labs and Javelin Strategy & Research. The key results of that study, Smartphones, Tablets and Fraud: When apathy meets security, are summarized here by Chuck. Hey folks, it's time to get your password on...
We spend a lot of time talking about the influence that mobile is having on our decision-making process. It is very hard to quantify because mobile swerves in and out of everything that we do BUT here is a study that gives us a glimpse of where mobile plays. Entitled Holiday Shopping in a Cross-Screen World, it shows us where mobile fits when it comes to researching product, ad impact and recall plus the breakdown of the types of products we all research from our devices. Chuck summarizes in this episode.
Joyful. That's how I would classify Amazon's mobile shopping season. Fearful is how I would think of it if I was any other retailer who hasn't embraced mobile yet. Amazon released their mobile shopping stats for the holidays and it is dominated by mobile. Chuck runs down the key numbers for us here and gives us his experience with a Bed Bath & Beyond store that lost his business to Amazon - a warning to all retailers. My favourite stat? On Cyber Monday, 18 toys per second were sold from the Amazon mobile app - that's over 1.5 million toys for the day...Joyful for the children indeed.
Why take Christmas off when you can shop. That's what happened on Christmas Day this year according to the latest research for IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark. According to their analysis of mobile activity on Christmas Day, our exuberance for spending over the holidays did not take a break after all the giving and getting on Christmas morning. Chuck highlights the key findings here.
Chuck is heading to CES and gives us a comparison of what it was like last year and what he expects it to be like this year. Plus, he highlights some of the things he will be focused on while in Las Vegas.
Shopsavvy is one of the most popular price checking mobile apps on the market today. They catalog over 500,000 stores and their products to bring you the best price for the product that is in your hand. They recently released the results of a massive study on which retailers are offering the biggest average discount and how many products they have on sale on average in their stores. Chuck gives us the top stores, discounts and product categories. Happy shopping!
In late October, McDonalds got into the beacon game. Not all McDonalds, just 17 of them in the Columbus, Georgia area. The results were good enough to prompt them to expand the rollout to another 263 locations. Chuck summarizes the results from the first 17 stores and answers the question about why beacons and why not just hand out coupons instead.
At one point the tablet was the dominant mobile commerce platform. Transactions flew from the bigger screen - an ode or tribute to the big screen desktop ways of our ecommerce forefathers. But now, for the first time, smartphones have taken over the top spot when it comes to mobile commerce. This, and much more, is revealed as Chuck takes a look at the new Criteo study - the State of Mobile Commerce Q4 2014.
The shopping season - between Black Friday and the end of Boxing Day - is where all retail strategy is tested. The work everyone has done over the entire year comes down to this span. This is where profits are made, companies survive, thrive or dive. Up until this period, most retailers are sitting in a sort of death zone and now is there chance to accelerate profits and, well, create some breathing room for themselves at the same time.
This is also the time that all the mobile strategies and advertising and beacon implementations and audience development and customer relationships get tested. So how is mobile faring? The latest Affiliate Window survey shows that it is playing a more active part in the buying process than ever before. Chuck summarizes as only he can.
Here's a perfect example of consumers wanting the technology but not wanting to use it - we are talking about mobile payments. In the Holiday Mobile Payments survey by Stratos, the numbers paint a very interesting contrast between the consumer's desire to have mobile payments versus their actual intent of use. With all the conversation of mobile payments and companies like Apple and SoftCard in the news everywhere, the results of this survey puts real perspective on this emerging industry. The bottom line? It is still emerging...slowly.
If you are looking for mobile payment success look no further than the quick serve restaurants in your area. They have been very early adopters of mobile technology - from mobile advertising to mobile coupons to mobile payments and now mobile ordering. While everyone else looks directly at payments - which aren't sticky - fast-food restaurants like Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A and Subway have been focused on the things that lead to payments. This makes their apps sticky and successful. Chuck gives us the state of mobile ordering and payments in the QSR world - lots of lessons to be learned from what they are doing.
If you've ever been watching a movie and wondered what brand of watch the lead was wearing or what car they were driving or where they were eating lunch then The Take is for you. Chuck explains how this app brings you a little closer to being a part of the movie experience while cataloging and selling the brands found inside a film.
Remember Christmas 2013 and all the hoopla and media attention showrooming was getting? Here we are a year later and I really haven't heard that term in the media this time around. That begs the question: Is showrooming still a thing? The Harris Poll has the answer and Chuck highlights the results from a recent report on the impact of mobile on consumer purchasing habits. According to this study there is something far more impactful than showrooming. Watch to find out what that is.
More and more studies are emerging on the changing role of retail sales staff and they all point in the same direction. The latest report, this one by CES entitled "Enhancing the In-Store CE Retail Experience Using Mobile Devices" paints the same picture as many of the other reports we've covered here before on this topic: The in-store sales role is being slowly usurped by our devices. Chuck let's us in on the results of the report and a few helpful suggestions on what this dwindling employment segment needs to do to adapt to the changing mobile shopping landscape.
Dollars are one way to judge mobile's adoption rate but Juniper Research may be on to a metric that really shows how the majority of us use our smartphones (which, as we know, is NOT payments). A new research paper gives us a glimpse into the transaction growth that mobile is undergoing - not commerce transactions, straight up interactions like taps and bumps. This number is growing and could be the metric to watch as we move our lives to our devices.
Do beacons work? Do they help customers find product? Do they help stores sell more product? Do they make customers more loyal? Do they increase basket size? Do they annoy customers? Do they build businesses or break them? Boston-based Swirl Networks - the company responsible for some of the largest retail beacon rollouts in North America has some answers and they are good -- very good -- for the early adopters.
Here is the definitive number for you in the ongoing "mobile app versus mobile web" battle being waged in retail provided by Skava: 90% of revenue comes from the mobile web. That is a crazy high number that really does show the importance of nailing that experience for your customers. The problem? If you are a retailer you still need both the mobile web AND a mobile app - unless you can afford to give up the other 10% of revenue (and 15% of visits) that come via the app. These numbers, and more, are what we cover in this episode.
This past Thanksgiving weekend may have been the first true test of beacons in retail outlets. There is no doubt that beacons have infiltrated the retail mindset - something Chuck highlights in this episode. From airports to banks, here are the latest uses in the wild today.
Reports are rolling in on the impact that mobile had on our Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping binges and we summarize them right here for you. Reports from BrandingBrand, Custora, Rue LaLa and IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark - all the numbers in one tidy little package.
Malls are quickly becoming the petri dish for mobile marketing experimentation. They are unique in the world of retail because they themselves are a destination so the question begs: How do the stores in the malls attract the people hanging out at the malls? One company is hoping that the free in-mall WiFi is the answer and they have started rolling out their service in a number of Taubman malls across the United States. Chuck gives us a quick rundown on what they are doing and what this means for retailers and malls alike.
Now that the hype around scanning QR and UPC codes has fallen from the mainstream media it is time to take a closer look at the reasons and impact behind each scan done today. ScanLife, makers of the ScanBuy app, recently released the results of a survey of 15,000 users and we present the key numbers here.
How much do you spend through your smartphone? Well, according to a recent eMarketer study that number is set to double by the end of next year. Chuck highlights the numbers that will see us breaking all kinds of mobile payments records this - and next - year. The biggest thing that will break, though, is your bank according to these numbers.
A recent study by Moxie Software found that a good majority of us would rather consult our phones instead of a sales person. Chuck examines what this means for consumers, retailers and how the combination of mobile and in-store customer service will work together (or not).
Target and Home Depot have rolled out their in-store, in-aisle offerings and Chuck headed out to test them both. Looking for a snow brush and a tarp, his journey took him to both stores and this is his experience.
It seems fitting that we look at some shopping numbers as we enter the "shopping season" in North America. Chuck takes us through the new Apigee study around customer expectations in retail done in conjunction with Standford University's Mobile Innovation Group. We summarize the impact that mobile is having on the shopping experience, the app vs non-app spending habits, the amount of spend from mobile users and what the true benefit of a retailer app is.
How many people do beacons really reach today? That's the question that Chuck tackles on this episode. We are starting to see audited, authenticated numbers and those numbers are growing. From third party apps tapping into the beacons inside a Lord & Taylor to Estimote's incredible pool of developers, there is no doubt that we are being rapidly blanketed by a cozy cover of beacons. The beacons are there, what's their actual human reach. Watch the episode.
Chuck had the opportunity to visit the new Paydiant offices - they are the company behind MCX and Subway's mobile payments app. While there, Chuck was given a tour of their Customer Experience Lab to see the things they are working on when it comes to the future of mobile payments and what he saw was very exciting. This is the summary of his visit and includes Paydiant CEO Chris Gardner's view on the one real battle that merchants should be focused on - and it isn't payments.
Mobile influence is crazy when it comes to our purchase behaviour so it shouldn't be a shock when someone dissects its impact on a segment of the shopping population. This time around it is mothers and mothers to be and the mobile influence on their shopping patterns is undeniable. The last 3 years have seen incredible growth for mobile use among this demographic and Chuck highlights this via the results of a recent survey by Babycenter.
A new study by AT Kearney examines the global consumer's motivation to get online and, of course, Chuck breaks it down for the mobile crowd here. The simple truth is that all of us, in any country, age category and economic status have different reasons, habits and patterns for mobile use. That being said there are commonalities that have emerged and that's what the focus of this episode is on.
Chuck visited New York based Verve to hear how they see where beacons play in the consumer path to purchase. What came of it is summarized in this episode and may signify the emergence of a new way to categorize beacons in retail: Passive vs. active. Whatever the terminology, perhaps what this really means is the the end of dreaded mobile banner ad and the start of the "mobile advertising as a valued service" era.
Every month Euclid Analytics releases their numbers on physical in-store activity in their Retail Benchmark report. They use smartphones to track consumers as they window shop, browse inside the store and leave - think of them as the same as web analytics for physical retail. They do this by analyzing hundreds of millions of potential shopping sessions per year across thousands of locations - all of it opt in and all of it anonymous. Chuck summarizes the latest report which saw a mixed bag of results.
Is it possible that we are entering the post-beacon era already? On one end we are still learning the impact that beacons can have on purchase decisions inside of stores but one enterprising company is looking at how beacons fit in the long game. Beinto has recently partnered with Gimbal to use beacons to capture consumer behavioural data in real-time and use it later to serve up more relevant ads and product offerings. Chuck calls this post-beaconing and he goes into detail about that here.
Samsung is entering the beacon fray in a big way with their Proximity offering that was recently announced. Chuck visited IPG Media Lab in New York and talked with Scott Varland about this move by Samsung. This episode highlights what Samsung's beacon strategy looks like and also a few questions that need to be answered before the product hits the market.
As we all gear up for the holidays and the pending mobile shopping season, Chuck highlights a new study by BurstMedia and Rhythm New Media on mobile's impact with a specific focus on the difference between how man and women use their phones to shop.
Have you thought of your in-store mobile strategy as different from your out-of-store mobile strategy? When it comes to retail and commerce, both are required. Why? Chuck answers that as he highlights the results from a new study by Retale on the behaviours of consumers while they are in-store versus out of store here.
SK Planet (the company that acquired Shopkick for $200M recently) is set to roll out 10,000 beacons to local businesses in South Korea giving this beacon craze another foothold in another country. Chuck explains how this is going to work including a pretty unique aspect of this rollout that includes bluetooth and geofences.
Are mobile payments a thing looking for a market or do they signal a real and necessary shift in our paying habits? This question has been haunting the industry since the earliest days of this incredibly young industry. It seems there hasn't been a really compelling reason for the masses to migrate to this, nor has there been a catalyst to help do it. To make this shift, a majority of consumers need to start to experience paying from a mobile device. Could that first experience be through our favourite restaurants?
In an unprecedented move, HBC is deploying beacons into every single Lord & Taylor and Hudson's Bay Company store in the US and Canada by the end of November. The reason? It worked so well in their trial rollout. How well? Watch the episode to find out as well as a few other big retailers starting to jump into beacons as well.
Beacons are not just for big department stores any more. We've mentioned Perka, the First Data division that is sending out beacons to their smaller merchants before. Now mobile payments company LevelUp is sending beacons to their customers as well. The hope is that these beacons enhance the customer service we've come to expect from smaller, more neighbourhood focused businesses. Chuck highlights why this may well be the best technology when it comes to loyalty mobile has ever seen.
Deloitte released their annual holiday survey and in it there are amazing mobile commerce nuggets - including the top things that mobile consumers will be doing while using their phones in the shopping process. Chuck gives us a run down of the most important mobile-related findings, including the surprising thing that 68% of us will be doing...Watch on to find out.
ApplePay may have brought more focus on the mobile payments industry (and, perhaps, scared a few companies at the same time), but it isn't new. In fact, the rest of the world has been using mobile payments for much longer than those of us on this side of the Atlantic. Chuck highlights a new study by Adyen on the penetration of mobile payments around the world and what we pay for with our mobile devices.
There is no way to hide from beacons these days - they are everywhere. Emerging from the early days of the beaconing, Chuck has made it easy to categorize the two broad types of companies that we are seeing today. Are you ready for Beacon Majors and Beacon Minors?
A recent study by American Express shocked both Chuck and I when it comes to how consumers will be using mobile during the coming shopping season. 2 minutes, 2 shocked hosts, 2 different reasons. Watch on.
As mobile payments make considerable inroads to obfuscate credit cards and cash there is a deeper battle brewing out there. This one isn't just between Softcard or CurrentC or ApplePay, it is at the core. On one side you have NFC, on the other you have the likes of QR codes and Bluetooth. Stuck in the middle? The consumer. How will this shake out? Will there be a winner? No one knows but Chuck gives us the current lay of the land in the heavyweight battle for your wallet.
Here's a case where beacons are being used to enhance the customer experience while they are in-store - not trying to sell them something or bombard them with discounts. Perka, a division of FirstData, is distributing beacons to smaller businesses as a way to augment their knowledge of their loyal customers. Chuck explains why this is important here.
Beacons are being used everywhere these days. This episode looks at the most prominent beacon implementations to date - including an upcoming auto show on Regent Street in London. From sports stadiums, universities and airports to Elvis' Graceland, beacons mean business.
We've all been focusing on beacons as a way to help retailers reach and sell to the customers that are floating around inside their stores. We've thought of beacons as a way to draw trafic from window displays to the cash register. We've thought of beacons as primarily a push game to help retailers increase basket size. Perhaps we've been thinking of beacons the wrong way.
Swirl, the beacon company that Lord & Taylor and HBC have hitched with is thinking of beacons in a whole different way and Chuck highlights why this is so significant to large retailers going forward. Hint: It rhymes with "shmu fevenrue".
What will consumers be doing with their mobile devices when it comes to shopping during the peak season? Chuck offers up a summary of Thinknear's findings from their latest research: The Mobile Marketer's Guide to Holiday Shopping 2014.
It is time for our monthly look at what is happening in the physical retail world - this according to Euclid's US Retail Benchmarks - and the news isn't all that bad! The demise of physical retail seems to be on hold as in-store activity is surging as more people passing by retail locations are going in and staying longer. Chuck talks us through the Euclid results and highlights another survey that showcases a few of the ways consumers react to the challenges of a failed mobile experience...this is where it gets scary.
We want our mobile everything and we want it now. Businesses want their mobile everything and they also want it now. Lost in the shuffle here is the key to mobile success - something Chuck brings to light in this episode.
Shopkick - recently purchased by SK Telecom for $200 million - announced the contribution they've made to those retailers that use their services - both in dollars and increased spending.
There should be no doubt of the importance of mobile commerce today. The fact that retail executives are now losing sleep over it is a sign that the magnitude of the opportunity is starting to sink in. Chuck summarizes the key findings from the third annual retail benchmark surveys by Retail Systems Research that details this and other key findings.
Today is Apple Pay day for the United States. The long-awaited launch of Apple's foray into mobile payments is here and we explore why Apple's incarnation is different from the early incumbents and why their approach may be the reason they succeed to gain traction. We also answer the age-old question: What needs to come first for mobile payment adoption: The customer or the employee.
That's right, the average participant in mobile payments will spend almost $800 from their phone next year - up from $397 this year - according to a recent eMarketer Report entitled “US Mobile Payments 2014: Updated Forecast and Key Trends Driving Growth.” Chuck walks us though the key findings in under 2 minutes here.
Does that sound high or low to you?
Hard to believe that we are already talking about holiday sales but that's what is on the minds of retailers across North America right now. We've aggregated a number of studies looking at the impact that mobile will have on retail sales this coming quarter and Chuck summarizes it all in under 2 minutes.
Who would have thought that mobile payment adopters think it is more risky than the casual or non-users. This based on a recent study by global management consulting firm, Kurt Salmon. The study examines the impact that ApplePay will have on the general population when it comes to mobile payments and Chuck highlights the things that matter in this episode.
As Chuck travels around the world he seeks out the places that have started implementing the technology we talk about here on the show. This time Chuck was in San Diego and swung by the Marriott - one of 3 across the United States that have implemented beacons throughout the property. Here is Chuck's experience as he wandered around, getting beaconed and blown away.
Without adding to the hype around beacons this shopping season, beacons are going to be HUGE for retailers in the coming months. With a number of high-profile tests and deployments underway, this coming Christmas shopping season will be the ultimate test of beacons for retailers, consumers and cash registers across the globe. Chuck highlights a recent report by eMarketer and their view on this emerging beacon world.
It seemed a likely marriage - that between travel and mobile - but it has taken an incredible amount of time to get the user experience right. Chuck, an avid traveler, gives us the lay of the land when it comes to his experiences while roaming the United States. The verdict? The industry has started to emerge as a leader in mobile and here's why.
We head back to Regent Street 100 days after their rollout of beacons to 130 retailers on the most famous shopping street on the planet. Chuck summarizes his conversation with Autograph.me CEO Henry Lawson on the impact those little beacons have had for retailers in the Queen's mall.
In February of 2014, Sears introduced curbside pickup of online purchases and every single person who hates shopping rejoiced. They have now expanded that service to include returns and exchanges. Chuck explains how this all works.
Grabbing the attention of a consumer is THE challenge for marketers using mobile these days and beacons are in the middle of this notification revolution. They seem to be the answer to all marketing prayers and, according to a recent inMarket study, they work VERY well. Chuck summarizes the results in this episode but beware, there is a dark side to this bright light that could bring an end to your beacon initiative - and customer loyalty - if it is abused.
In the nascent worlds of contextual conversation and beacons, two early leaders in their respective fields are coming together to build a deeper partnership. Urban Airship - one of the first push notification companies - and Gimbal - a leading beacon technology company - are working closely together to "maximize in the moment engagement." Chuck has all the details and the impact of this partnership on the industry.
There are certain categories of products that consumers are browsing - and buying - online. These products have an almost identical browse to buy ratio, this according to a huge study done by Nielsen. Part of the study also shows the product categories that attract higher browsers than buyers. Chuck covers it all quickly for you here.
Chuck has aggregated the most significant mobile numbers that everyone should know. It starts at 13 and ends 4.7 trillion so hang on!
When Thinknear released their first Location Score Index last quarter there was an audible gasp as a result of their findings. They are back with their Q3 index and the results are much improved. Chuck walks us through his highlights of the most important numbers you should know.
There is no doubt that beacons are making their way into every conversation around the executive board room tables of retailers small and large. Chuck has come up with a clear definition of what this technology is and should do. Plus, we explore how it can all go wrong if we aren't careful.
Quick. Your biggest complaint when you walk into a Home Depot is? Retail has given us big box stores, streamlined ecommerce platforms, mass emails, coupons and real-time web customer support but have you ever been so frustrated by the lack of in-store customer support that you've walked out, vowing to never return? Well, mobile may be the answer to this.
Sears and Zappos (independently) are working on making your in-store experience a good one when it comes to getting some real-time help. Chuck explains how mobile is bringing customer service back to the physical store using some connected smarts.
Quick. If I were to ask you what company is leading the way in accepting mobile payments who comes to mind? Apple? Starbucks? Amazon? HBC?
How about Subway?
It may seem odd but Subway is quietly becoming a poster child for mobile payments and Chuck explains why and what their strategy is in this episode. The big lesson here is, when it comes to accepting mobile payments, the answer should be yes - regardless of the provider.
It may take a behemoth to bring about habit change the kind necessary for everyone to move to mobile payments. Could that be Walmart? In the coming months, Walmart is moving wholesale to chip and pin payment technology and introducing a branded Mastercard. This may seem innocuous but Chuck sees it as one step closer to mass mobile payment adoption. Here's why.
Counter to our intuition, it seems that those north of 55 have very few hangups about using their mobile devices according to a new study by BI Intelligence. The study also lays out the portrait of the perfect mobile user and, of course, the difference between how men and women see the mobile shopping world. Chuck highlights it all for you here in under 2 minutes.
In a first of what will likely be many companies diving headfirst into beacons, Macy's has announced a huge rollout of 4000 beacons across their stores in the United States. They are doing it in partnership with Shopkick and Chuck has all the details of this monster initiative here.
That's right, for the first time ever, mobile visits outpaced desktop visits to retailer websites according to BrandingBrand.com. In 4 short years, mobile has usurped desktop and that's not all. All other mobile-related stats are STILL experiencing crazy growth rates and many are surpassing the 50%-use mark. Chuck breaks it down for us here. The only question is how far will this go?
A very recent study by Digi-Capital shows that $14 billion dollars has been invested into mobile companies in the last 12 months and it seems as though that investment is going to show great returns. Chuck highlights the reasons why these investors are smiling.
Mobile payments have been hit or miss early in their adoption but one place that has seen a huge uptick is on the trains - especially everywhere except North America. Part of the reason is convenience that leads to a behaviour change - they made it easier to use a mobile than a traditional ticket. Chuck highlights a recent Frost & Sullivan report on the amount of mobile money flowing through trains...and it isn't small.
Loyalty has long been the focus of mobile strategy - especially for retailers and coupon companies. This is no surprise. A loyal customer brings higher sales but also requires thinking and a process to follow. We are now starting to see smart companies make smart moves in this space - the most recent being the Catalina acquisition of Cellfire. Chuck explains the state of loyalty and why these two companies coming together brings with it a new type of mobile loyalty company.
Hallelujah the beacons are coming! A huge study by Adobe shows us what mobile marketers think of beacons and it is (mostly) good. There is tremendous interest in using beacons these days and this study encapsulates the state of acceptance as a marketing tool. Chuck summarizes for us here.
We've all been waiting for a mobile payments catalyst. Something that will give us the confidence to leave our wallets behind, forgo physical credit cards and cash and be easy enough for our parents to use. So far, not so good but could Apple Pay be the answer? Apple has made it easy for us to buy music, tv shows, movies and apps so is it Apple Pay that will bring mobile payments to the masses? Enter Chuck and his thoughts.
Coupons and mobile are synonymous with mobile shopping aren't they? In fact, most of the early adopters for mobile shopping are consumers looking for deals. The funny thing is that what mobile brings to the coupon industry strays so far away from what a traditional coupon is that we should really consider changing their name. The reality is that the relationship between the coupon and mobile is growing and the impact over the next few years will be tremendous for those that embrace the changing landscape. What does that look like? Chuck gives us a glimpse here.
Back to school the event was only dwarfed this year by back to school the shopping event. In what is sure to be a sign of things to come for the serious shopping season ahead, mobile played in important role in getting kids equipped for school. Chuck gives us the final word on the latest (and last) study on this subject brought to us by Affiliate Window. If this is any indication of things to come, watch out.
With probably the most unfortunate name in the history of company names, ISIS - the payment consortium that includes AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless - has finally renamed themselves to Softcard. Not to be undone, the other payment consortium formerly called MCX (for Merchant Customer Exchange) - formed by some of the world's largest retailers - rebranded to CurrentC. The big question is that, despite the seemingly lack of branding ability these big companies have, will this be relevant now that Apple has entered the fray?
There is so much speculation around Apple's event today but there are a few things we are sure of and I'm not talking about the new phones. Mobile payments are coming to - and through - Apple's ecosystem with huge partners and even greater clout. Chuck explores the impact that a mobile payments-enabled Apple means to the industry.
We've all wondered when cash will end its reign in favour of more efficient and economical digital methods. Regardless if you think we will become cashless or not, a recent survey from CreditCards.com shows where cash is still king - and may be for some time to come.
Mobile's influence on shopping has been incredible and the tools that Chuck highlights in this episode are helping consumers save money and shop faster. From discounts to payments to finding the best price, there are more and more apps for that so it's important to know where to turn to first. Look no further than this episode. Which ones do you use?
Beacons continue to pop up as a strategy for retailers so we thought it prudent to give you a rundown of some of the larger beacon initiatives underway in retail. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are the top 5 beacon deployments in retail from around the world.
It is often the larger companies - those with influence and an eager and influential customer base - that help turn technology trends into mainstream reality and mobile payments are no different. Chuck highlights a new feature in the Walmart mobile app that may just be the kick that mobile scanning and mobile commerce need to enter everyday use.
There are some stark differences when it comes to mobile commerce adoption around the world and they are detailed in a new report by Internet Retailer called the 2015 Mobile 500. Chuck dives into the key stats from the report. One of the key findings is the difference in revenue growth between retailers that have an app versus those that don't...Not sure you can afford to skip this episode.
There is no doubt that retailers are learning lessons from how consumers are using mobile during this back to school shopping rush. Chuck details yet another study that dives deep into the mobile shopping habits of parents buying for their children. There are lessons to be learned here as the retail industry accelerates towards Black Friday and the Christmas shopping season. Prepare to take notes.
It is time for the monthly roundup from BrandingBrand and Euclid Analytics on the state of the mobile shopper. As usual, Chuck grabs the highlights - the things you need to know - and distills them into a couple of minutes and adds a layer of his insight into the mind of the mobile consumer.
It turns out there is a limit to the distance that most of us will travel to get a deal. According to the latest back-to-school research done by Thinknear, that limit is 15 miles. The research also highlights how back-to-school shoppers use their mobile devices to help them find the deals and choose products - while in the store and out. Chuck highlights the key findings here.
With the conversation in retail shifting to beacons and the act of beaconing, Chuck explores the next phase of this emerging technology by visiting IPG Media Lab in New York City. The next phase? Aren't we just entering the era of the beacon? We are but, once you watch this episode you will understand that the beacon is not the focus, it is the experience that comes as a result that should be.
I was not sure that back-to-school shopping was an event for marketers but apparently it is and it's big. Chuck gives us the rundown on the latest study by PunchTab on how mom's will be using mobile to assist in their back-to-school shopping. It is an event and mobile is very much at the centre of it all.
Nope, this isn't 1987 and Andrew McCarthy is nowhere to be found but we are talking about smart mannequin's and how they are set to enable mobile commerce. Chuck explores what happens when you combine beacons embedded into mannequin's and a smartphone...all brought to you by Iconeme.
Right now, the smartphone is the hub of much of what we do. Most services, wearables and transactions rely on the computing power found on the smartphone (or through the smartphone to the cloud) to function properly. Think of your FitBit connecting to your phone to power your step count for example. Chuck shows us some examples of the complementary tech that relies on the smartphone as the hub of our digital lives.
It's always good to lean back and take a look at the mobile industry numbers once in a while and today we are doing just that. Chuck has accumulated the most pertinent mobile percentages and lists them out to give us perspective on this industry we all love. From low to high, here is the mobile industry.
The word of the fall in retail is going to be beacons with good reason. There are a number of innovative companies that have been experimenting with their use and this fall will see them commit fully to them. Chuck gives us a run down of the companies that are in this category - the ones that aren't sitting back and waiting for the end of retail. What will retail look like in the fall? Here's a glimpse.
Notifications are emerging as the new mobile operating system. As mobile users find themselves buried in apps that once held promise but have somehow found their way off the main screen, notifications can help bring the value back if they are done right. A recent study by GroupM looks at the willingness and concerns consumers have with notifications and the results should leave everyone feeling opportunistic. Bottom line? Do notifications properly and there will be prosperity. However, the opposite is also true.
People don't want to buy from a smartphone. This according to a huge study by GroupM. They do want to shop from them but most companies don't factor that into their research - they simply look at the transactions. Could the most important thing to measure become the wish list or what goes into the shopping cart? Many retailers at the forefront of mobile commerce are focusing there and this strategy will make a ton of sense once you watch this episode.
Retail is the first industry to grasp the importance of beacons as a hardware platform but beacons require much more effort than affix and spam. According to new research from BI Intelligence, there are going to be thousands of these things in circulation by the end of the year - mostly in retail - which can be good, only if retailers (and all businesses for that matter) heed Chucks words in this episode.
If you've ever wanted to know what a committed mobile shopper looks like you don't have to wander too far - Chuck is our ultimate beta tester for all things mobile payments. He wandered out, mobile in hand, to some of the biggest retailers in the United States to see what benefit mobile brings. These are the results.
And the future of beacon commerce is being led by...sausages? That's right, as more and more companies explore the benefits of bringing beacons into their sales and marketing organizations there are a few companies that are already out there testing. Hillshire Farm is one of those companies and they are teaching the rest of the retailers something about this emerging retail tool and the results are staggering.
Two new studies on mobile payments done by Nielson and the National Retail Federation looked at the habits of actual participants in the mobile commerce and payments world. The studies were not as it relates to the whole population but only included the people already paying with their smartphones. Chuck summarizes both in 2 minutes here.
If you are among the early mobile commerce adopters you are now an RSTP - you research, scan, tap and pay with your device - and you are a part of the elite forward thinking mobile users...for now.
The Hudson's Bay Company - the oldest retailer in North America - is showing everyone how to bring beacons into retail by rolling them out in 130 stores across North America. HBC partnered with Swirl, the iBeacon marketing platform company based in Boston, to implement this feat. Chuck dove head-long into this story by visiting the Boston Lord & Taylor and by interviewing Swirl CEO Hilmi Ozguc to get the amazing details on this massive roll out.
The deal is a powerful incentive - for some sectors. A new study by GO Digital showcases the key ways mobile influences the purchase in different sectors including groceries, apparel & shoes and electronics/technology. The study also highlights a concept we'll coin here called "pre-emptive buying" which simply means a majority of consumers are making a shopping list and making up their minds about the products they buy before they enter the store. The question is, how do retailers influence this once they are inside their store...
Do QR codes have a reputation problem or are they just not useful anymore? That seems to be the question with many saying they are the past and other saying QR codes are just misunderstood. The ScanLife app has been downloaded over 85 million times and they certainly think that there is room for smarter QR codes. In this episode Chuck explains what their platform does to amplify the simple QR code by providing tremendous value to the consumer.
It what can only be described as the most optimistic failed mobile payment attempt, Chuck explains why his inability to do a mobile payment at a Macy's store left him feeling good about the industry.
One of the allures of online and mobile shopping is that there is almost always a sure guarantee the product will be in inventory. You may have to wait a day or two for it to get to your doorstep but odds are the thing you order will be delivered. Not so for traditional retail stores. There is nothing more frustrating than finding the product you want, making your way to the store only to find it isn't available at that location. Inventory is becoming an important lever in retail behind experience and price and one company, Retailigence, is making sure you get the product you want when you want it.
The only thing that is more important to remember when leaving home for most of us - other than our smartphone - is our keys. This according to a survey done by Reputation Leaders on behalf of PayPal. This should be no surprise at all but what is are the numbers of hours we waste in the average day...standing in line to pay for things. Watch this quick episode to understand what that means to the mobile commerce opportunity.
The original killer application for mobile phones was, well, voice communications. For the first time ever, we weren't tied to a specific location to be reached. This was a revolution and a revelation for businesses and parents with teenagers. Somewhere along the line, voice has taken a backseat as the primary means of communications for the smart devices we carry today. Voice hasn't gone away, rather the function has changed dramatically. As you'll see in this episode, voice has shifted from person-to-person to person-to-computer as it tries to bridge the limitations of our small screens and big fingers as an important input mechanism.
Whether you've used the likes of Siri or not, voice will play an important role in the near and long-term future of mobile and companies like Nuance are at the forefront of the voice tech shift that is happening.
Here's a trend for you: Direct-to-consumer-removing-the-store-from-the-value-chain. Kind of long but kind of important. Mobile has enabled this world where the shelf isn't as important as it once was and the consumer is in greater command of the buying process. That's why Gigwalk is emerging (after 2+ years) as a key component for retailers in this, the battle of their lives. Chuck explains why this service - and others like it - are important to the retail industry. We also explore the real and imminent threat that what is really happening is the strengthening of the manufacturer-to-consumer relationship, further eroding the retailer value...All this in 2 minutes!
The latest research points to the increased comfort consumers are feeling towards using mobile payments for anything from toys to furniture to pet supplies. So who is the ideal customer? What is the ideal platform for mobile commerce? What is everyone spending their mobile dollars on? Shopgate's latest research shows us in detail and Chuck paints that picture for you in 2 minutes here.
There have been many companies that have attempted to perfect the coupon redemption process to varying degrees of success. Most of that success has come in the form of company exits for the founders, not so much when it comes to satisfied customers but a Canadian company may be hitting the sweet spot for that. The company is called Checkout 51 and Chuck offers his thoughts on the service here. #GoCanada
Two great studies released last week - one from Unbound Commerce and the other from BrandingBrand - showcase the insane year-over-year growth of mobile commerce. In case you missed them, Chuck summarizes the high-level findings here in less than 2 minutes. The Coles notes version? Mobile is killing it. The long version? Mobile is killing it. Watch this.
We all know that retail has taken a licking as a result of the mobile revolution. It has been the punching bag for upstarts and analysts, it has been chided in all media, it has become subservient to the almighty consumer, it has quite simply lost its mojo. For every glimmer of hope that the retail industry has caught on, has embraced its new lord, has turned a corner, reality hits home time and again. A new study by Boston Retail Partners reiterates this cycle and shows retailers are still in a state of denial. Chuck summarizes here but to give you a quick snapshot, of the retailers surveyed, only 3% can identify the mobile shopper when they walk in their store...we are all still anonymous - not by accident but by negligence.
Grocery stores are important to us. They are often a part of our neighbourhoods. We visit them regularly and often. We are loyal. The thing is that we also want from our grocery stores the same things we want from the other retailers we frequent. Grocery stores have an incredible opportunity because of the nature of their business but they cannot rest and let the mobile opportunity pass them by. That would be catastrophic to their business. This latest PWC study shows what we want as consumers from our grocery stores. Chuck highlights some of the key findings in 2 minutes here.
Two incredible studies (one by Euclid, the other by BrandingBrand) focus on the influence mobile is having on the shopping experience. They also shine a light on possibly the biggest challenge for retailers: "Dark retail." Similar to the "dark web" - the private sharing and linking of websites and data that can't be measured by traditional analytics, Dark Retail encompasses the influences that affect the consumer's path to purchase that cannot be measured. The path to purchase has never been a straight line but smartphones and other connected devices have really increased the complexity for retailers. At the same time, they have given consumers full control on where, when and with whom they do business with.
Two of augmented reality's household names are now one. When Blippar acquired Layar it was two fierce competitors coming together under one roof. Is this a sign of a market that is taking longer than anticipated to emerge or is this a sign of a market that may never emerge. Chuck offers his thoughts on what this means to the industry.
In a first on many levels, famed high-end shopping mecca Regent Street in London has had 180 beacons installed in the entrances of all the shops that line the street. The app, created by Autograph, allows consumers to customize the types of shops that can reach out to them through the setup. It is one of the first massive controlled rollouts of the beacon technology - done by the Regent Street Partnership under The Crown Estate. It is early but this is a project that all retailers should be watching very closely.
There is a subtle difference between selling to consumers and helping them to buy from you. One may push customers out the door empty-handed (and perhaps to a competitive website), the other may just make a more loyal customer that would come back again and again and again. The question is how to do this in a way that really does help people when they are in-store trying to make up their mind and do it through mobile as the central platform.
An innovative in-store app created by Impiger Mobile - on the Genband platform - for Toy Genius may just have the solution. You'll have to watch the episode to catch a glimpse.
What if I told you that email is still a valuable marketing tool - especially for mobile? Well, it is. According to a recent and exhaustive report on email marketing by Knotice, mobile is the termination point for most emails and a solid email marketing strategy for retailers is essential in order to connect with customers. Email should be used in conjunction with other marketing tactics to be effective but you can't ignore how and when people use it - which, as with everything else, is on the go.
Mobile payments are taking off - we know this - but it isn't the amount that is staggering yet, it is the year over year growth. Most of the planet hasn't even done a transaction yet so we are in the early years. Similar to a batting average in April, percentages are bound to stabilize but right now growth in mobile payments is a vertical line with nothing to slow it down.
A new study by Juniper illustrates this very clearly with a 40% jump in mobile payments from last year. It is still early, and doesn't come near the $5+ trillion spent on credit cards annually but it is only a matter of time
A new study from Affiliate Window shows the growth of the sales coming from mobile. This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone who has watched any of our episodes. This should be used as ammunition as you are sitting around a table discussing whether you ought to invest more in mobile. With an average purchase of over $120 per transaction and mobile moving 30% of sales from the respondents I think the answer is clear...When it comes to mobile, more isn't just one option, it is THE option.
The path to purchase has been forever altered by mobile and a new by study xAd and Telmetrics shows just how much. The study, entitled the Mobile Path To Purchase, is summarized here for you by Chuck. This study shows the growing influence mobile is having on not only how we buy but what we buy and where.
Accuracy in location based marketing is the ESSENTIAL ingredient for success. Can you imagine if your highly-targeted, location-specific ad is being displayed 6 miles off target? According to new research from Thinknear, only about a third of ads are being displayed in an acceptable and actionable geofence. The rest? meters or miles off target - which means meters or miles off from enticing customers into your place of business.
This may be the most important and frightening conversation for the location-based ad world. One that needs to happen. One that needs to lead to more accountability. One that you should know about right now.
In zombie parlance, the retail supply chain is all but dead except for that little piece of the brain that runs on instinct. You know, it's the one that thinks it's a good idea to eat humans...
One of the bigger implications of our new mobile world is the hurt it is putting on the retail supply chain. There used to be a day when the only way a consumer could get a product from a specific brand was to find it in a store. That isn't true anymore. With so many brands now reaching the consumer directly and the expectations of the consumer reaching orbital requirements, what will happen to the legacy supply chains still being used by most retailers today? RSR released a report on the impact that mobile is having on the supply chain and, in case you didn't know, it has been disruptive and destructive. More change in retail = more opportunity for differentiation.
It seems that the ability to buy from our phones is not enough, we now need to be able to buy faster - in 20 seconds or less to be exact. PowaTag is a new app that enables shoppers to purchase from where they stand from whatever they are looking at. A user points the app-loaded smartphone to the advertisement or product, confirms the particulars (size, colour, etc) and pays. No aisles, no cash registers, no lines, no hassles.
In a vast study across Europe by Ipsos on behalf of ING a number of key insights were unearthed. Among them was the notion that the more we rely on our mobile phones for commerce, the higher the likelihood of an impulse buy. The difference is that the average transaction on a smartphone is much higher than the same by other forms of payment. The question should be how do you find the right mix of product that creates the impulse to buy...and buy often
Humans are finicky. We complain when we get too much attention from pushy sales people on one hand and then we complain that shopping is becoming impersonal. Retailers are caught between too much service (seen as pushy) and not enough service (seen as uncaring) and right in the middle of all of this are the humans. This is all based on a recent report by the McCann Worldgroup entitled Truth about shopping. The conclusion? Newsflash...Humans are empowered and tough to please.
Scanbuy's numbers don't lie. The number of QR code scans are up 20% from last quarter and people are doing it from every corner of the planet. Chuck highlights the latest numbers here - including the demographic split, the preferred use and the top scanned categories.
A new study from ICM Research confirms the retailers worst fear: They have to embrace ALL aspects of mobile - the mobile web AND mobile apps. Mobile web dominates the first step of brand engagement however more sales are coming from apps. Confused? You should be. Solve the "why" of the mobile web to bring deeper customer loyalty and sales through the mobile app. The road ahead for retailers is getting much clearer, just not any easier.
At the recent OMMA Mobile in New York, 3 of the top pioneers in mobile retail offered up their best advice on how they are succeeding with their mobile strategies. First up is Jim Ensign, vice president, Global Digital Marketing, Papa John’s International. Second is Amit Shaw, vice president, online, marketing, mobile and social at 1800Flowers. Third is Tricia Nichols, global lead of consumer engagement, media innovation and partnerships for Gap Brand. Each brings a unique voice to the table but the bottom line is to learn from what they are doing and move your strategy forward.
SMS isn't dead, it is just widely misused. This according to a Hipcricket study. The results show the disconnect between the use and value of SMS as part of the marketing mix. Done properly, text messaging will be the retailers greatest ally. Done improperly, text messages become their greatest enemy. The simple truth is that if a message doesn't offer value, is not relevant and is too intrusive, it is not just disregarded it will harm the perception of the brand.
How bad is it being done? Chuck summarizes in 90 seconds.
Loyalty company SpotOn released some great insight into the frequency of messages loyal customers will tolerate before they tune out. It's a bigger number than you think and a number that many - if not most - are not coming close to. But just don't go over it...
One of the most iconic brands in the United States is Dunkin' Donuts so what does this behemeth of a company think about mobile? Quite a bit and quite often. John Costello, President of Global Marketing at Dunkin' Brands spoke at an OMMA Mobile event in New York City and gave us a little glimpse into his world and how they approach mobile innovation. Chuck summarizes
Euclid Analytics tracks millions of shopping experiences across retail locations and their latest numbers are out. The numbers of shoppers that actually go into the stores are down month over month but their time in the store is up by almost 2 minutes. What is the overall impact on sales? Watch to see what higher dwell time + lower visits means in actual dollars.
Research shows that shoppers still go to physical stores despite all the mobile commerce hype. The interesting (and common sense) thing about shoppers these days is that they do most of their product research prior to stepping foot in the store. This is called "webrooming" and may even be a bigger threat to retailers than showrooming. Why? Well, to showroom is to be in the store where a decision may be influenced. To webroom means to be invisible to the store and at the mercy of price and availability. A recent study by marketing firm Interactions showcases this trend and Chuck highlights it for you in 2 minutes here.
Discounts are seemingly driving retail these days but it is the language of the discounts that make the difference. Take a recent study by PriceGrabber that asked 3000 people if they would prefer 50% off or $50 off a $100 purchase. The results aren't as predictable. The other interesting fact is in the percentage of people that are very interested in giving up personal information while they are in the store for some benefit. Watch on.
Mobile spending is growing - we all know that. Just how much it is growing by is the biggest question. Both Forrester and comScore agree that the volume of dollars flowing through smartphones and tablets is greater than last year and growing even faster this year. On this pace, mobile spending will dine on most other means of spending in quick order.
In just 4 short years the majority of us will be using our mobile device (whatever that looks like) to pay for much of everything. This according to a massive study done by Forrester. While it is ok to quantify the effectiveness of mobile payments by affixing a dollar value to it, Chuck cautions that looking at that exclusively omits the majority of the influences of a purchase. Watch to see where else to focus on.
Dispensing marijuana is a new business but a US-based company is already thinking about how to create loyalty and bring simplicity to those looking to speed up the buying process. SinglePoint is going to facilitate the transaction through mobile and actually make it a one-click process - alleviating the sometimes painful 75 minute wait in line.
Airlines have a very unique advantage when it comes to their customer base - they are captive. There are few industries that own the customer from start to finish like the airline companies but how are they bringing mobile into their equation? Chuck gives us his state of the mobile airline industry.
Do you need numbers to validate the mobile project you are trying to sell up the channel? Perhaps you are in need of a study - something that quantifies the opportunity, something that shows the incredible growth happening (often at the expense of traditional process). Enter the latest numbers from BrandingBrand. Year over year numbers so big, so ominous if they are ignored, so filled with opportunity, so encapsulated in 2 minutes by Chuck.
The latest study by eMarketer confirms what we already suspected: Digital coupons have migrated over to mobile. This should not come as huge news to most of us but it does confirm a few things around how coupons are being used today. The biggest is how we use our devices to redeem coupons: We know that tablets are the dominant redemption device today but that will change as more of us are using tablets to research and clip but smartphones to redeem. Will the mobile coupon unseat its forefather, the printed coupon? Not yet says Chuck.
When you ask consumers what they want in their mobile wallet the overwhelming response shouldn't surprise anyone. The answer isn't payment cards or loyalty cards or pretty much anything that anyone is building right now. The #1 response, according to a recent study by T|SYS|, is...the driver's license. This shines a bright light on the disconnect between what is being built out there and what will actually provide value. This episode highlights some great learnings from the study and asks the question about why Square is walking away from their version of the mobile wallet.
A new study by Gallup suggests that the vast majority of consumers spend their hard-earned money inside of stores. Not on the web, not on the mobile web and certainly not from a mobile app. In fact, close to 60% of consumers aren't being impacted by mobile at all and 22% of consumers are actually being driven into the store from mobile. The downside? 19% are shopping less. Is showrooming's short existence over? Have retailers adapted to the mobile-first world? This episode highlights it all for you.
The latest e-tailing group merchant survey (their 13th annual) shows the disconnect between what retailers say versus what they do. The vast majority of those in the survey say that mobile is critical to their business however only a very small percentage of those same retailers are investing the appropriate amounts in their mobile strategy. The most staggering number? How about the 11% of retailers that aren't planning on spending ANYTHING on their mobile strategy this year...they must have nailed it the first time, right?
A recent report by eMarketer puts mobile payments in context - both as a percentage of spending and how it differs across the globe. The one undeniable fact is that the growth is happening here, there and everywhere. This episode highlights the key points of the report as well as shows this truly global phenomenon is, er, truly global. Look east and you'll see a clearer path to mobile commerce adoption you will...
Lines.
Seems simple enough no? An Edmonton, Canada (yes!) boutique retailer called Lux found out how to succeed with in-aisle payments when they recently introduced it inside their store. The key was to have a busy store and long checkout lines. Take those two factors and add the ability to download an app, pay where you stand and walk out instead of waiting in said long lines and success was had. A simple but valuable lesson on how/when/where to begin with this type of offering.
Canadians eh? We are smarter than your average bear.
Now that the dust is starting to settle on the first wave of mobile's influence on the retail industry there are a certain number of truths that have emerged. The first is that stores are necessary - so much so that 94% of sales happen within it. The second is that the impact mobile has on the way and how much we buy is staggering. What hasn't changed, despite all the retail innovations when it comes to mobile, is our disdain for sales people.
All this is from a recent Deloitte Digital survey entitled "The New Digital Divide" and the key highlights are summarized in this episode.
Flurry's recent study on mobile usage showcases the ferocity with which we've adopted smartphones into our lives and the addictive behaviour that comes with it. While the Flurry breaks our mobile app usage into three categories - regular user, super users and addicts - Chuck takes a different approach in showcasing the diminishing gap between all of them. We are all trending towards addicted...
Targeting a customer while they are in a store is set to become a big business and for good reason. Emerging technologies like Apple's iBeacon and other low energy Bluetooth-enabled (BLE) beacons are descending and may seem complicated and imposing however there are 2 very distinct ways they can be used. What will emerge is a deeper set of data that will help shape the future of retail just watch out for that creepy line, you don't want to cross it...
Does mobile influence what bank we put our money into? A recent study by Harris Poll on behalf of BancVue highlights the influence mobile has on the emerging mobile generation and how they decide which of the banks they will form a long-term (often lifetime) relationship with. The simple fact is that mobile does have a say in this - a very big say.
Is there a disconnect between the technology that retailers are looking to deploy inside their stores and the likelihood that it will be used by their customers? It is a known fact that most retailers are far behind the curve when it comes to mobile - it is often their customers that are more savvy and more advanced when it comes to the devices they carry - but is that about to change? Apple's iBeacon technology and NFC may be reshaping the retail landscape but are consumers interested in being watched, prodded and pushed this way? Are WE as consumers ready for this? A recent study by Retale paints the current picture and we highlight some of the key findings here.
What do shoppers want when it comes to a mobile shopping experience? How about simply speeding the process up? A new study by Insights Now and Catalina (that can be found here) shows us what really matters when it comes to the mobile savvy shopper. I think we can all relate to speeding up the shopping process (and not just replacing an existing cumbersome process with another) but the real insight is what the consumers DON'T want an app to do...which seems to be EXACTLY what most retailer apps focus on...
Push notifications are powerful. Most of the effort in mobile apps has been in the creation and marketing - getting someone to download your hard work and launch it once. The problem, as we all know, is that launching it once is only the start of the long journey from casual user to customer. If 90% of apps aren't launched more that 3 times, there is a problem. It could be the app is not thought through or doesn't meet expectations or it could be that people forget they downloaded it. So many apps, so little time.
That's where push notifications can help - with the right message at the right time. This quick episode looks at what some of the biggest brands in retail are (or aren't) doing with push notifications. The data is from 2 years of research done by OtherLevels. The entire survey can be found here.
This Tradedoubler mobile commerce study looks at how 4500 consumers in 9 European countries have incorporated smartphones and tablets into their purchasing behaviours. There shouldn't be any surprise with these results - should there be? The outcome is along the same lines as North America including almost 50% of the respondents using their smartphones or tablets for shopping every week and almost 1/3 do it every day. The study also revealed that consumers do it everywhere including in bars, at work, commuting and out shopping.
One thing is for sure, this is a global migration to mobile devices for shopping. The entire whitepaper can be found here.
We trust banks with everything that has to do with our money, our homes and our retirement. This trust is handed down, generation after generation and, with few exceptions (even a global meltdown), banks are trusted more than retailers and technology companies. Should banks leverage that trust into other consumer-focused businesses or should they just do what they've been doing and leave the commerce to someone else?
What does an affordable tablet or smartphone mean for the population of emerging economies? Two companies - one in Canada and the other in China are about to find out. Chuck highlights their plans and the impact the low-cost tablets from Datawind and smartphones from MMB will have on mobile commerce.
Money moving through mobile is on the rise - and by rise, I mean growing at 40% year over year. This is based on a recent study by Juniper Research that focused on the impact of mobile on money transfers. The global study dives into the major trends around how money is being moved through mobile and why.
Do banks hold the key to mobile commerce adoption? We trust them with our money, we finance our cars and homes with them, we carry their branded credit cards and we use their mobile apps with stunning regularity. In short, we are committed to them and, like it or not, there is enough brand loyalty that we rarely change banks. BUT, should they open marketplaces inside their apps and sell products other than their own?
A comprehensive study by PWC looks at the reasons consumers aren't using their smartphones to shop. The results have as much to do with the technology impediments as with consumer behaviours that require a shift in mindset. That aside, you may be surprised with the single largest impediment to mobile commerce...watch to find out what that is.
With all the hoopla these days around mobile payments it would make sense if there was actual demand from consumers. The reality is, based on two substantial global studies, that consumers aren't yet interested in paying from their mobile phones. The highlights from the Apigee and Bain & Company studies aren't shocking but they demonstrate the gulf between what is being built and what is being used in the mobile payments arms race.
Do we or don't we use mobile apps for shopping? A huge study by Apigee shines some much-needed light on the role that mobile apps play in the mobile commerce and retail ecosystem. Watch on for the highlights.
As crazy as it sounds, people still actually go into stores to shop. I know, right? The challenge for the stores is that there is a small window of time to convert those browsers into buyers while they are in the store itself. A recent survey by euclid looks at traffic conversion for stores as well as how long they dwell and how quickly they exit. It is all summarized right here in under 2 minutes.
Mobile is a big deal to retail. A very big deal as you'll see in this quick overview of a recent DigitasLBi study that looked at the impact mobile is having on consumer spending behaviour. The results? Humans are fickle and retailers need to start thinking that every single person walking into their store (digital or not) is a precious and fleeting opportunity to convert. Just because they enter with intent to buy, does not mean they will buy from where they stand. Watch on, it's like a horror movie for retail...
A recent study by appinions for Forbes Insights looks at the most influential and talked about companies involved in mobile payments and we have the quick run downhere.
It shouldn't surprise us that quick serve restaurants are leading the charge when it comes to mobile payments in the food industry. They were early adopters for location based ads and now it seems that every major chain has a mobile wallet to facilitate a faster restaurant experience. Could this be the path that mobile payments takes to enter mainstream?
Almost one third of the top performing web-only retailers aren't even providing their customers with a mobile-ready website - simply forcing them use the big screen version of their web experience on a small screen. Is this strategy for growth or a reluctance of some of the early pioneers and most innovative commerce companies to change with these new times.
What does the year ahead look like for mobile commerce? A study by Vantiv offers some great insight in the trends we should see come to fruition throughout the remainder of 2014. Chuck highlights a few of the key ones in this episode.
According to a recent survey by the e-tailing group and Local Corporation, only 24% of us use apps for product research. Mobile search, not apps, has become so important and so influential on what products consumers find and decide to ultimately buy. Based on this research you will see where the area to focus your efforts should be for converting browsers into buyers. Watch on!
We go around the world to look at what is happening in mobile commerce and highlight key findings from a recent yStats study. The common denominator is one simple fact: Mobile shopping and mobile commerce is not an isolated phenomenon. The movement is global and each country highlighted is showing massive growth and adoption. Hang on as we go around the world in under 3 minutes.
Starbucks has become a leading mobile payments company - with the Square investment and their very popular mobile app - but are they looking to move the transactions out of the coffee world? It doesn't seem that far-fetched to think of Starbucks moving into other lines of business with their new-found expertise. Could they be on the verge of an Amazon-like transformation? Watch this episode to see what it could mean.
What's the difference between searching on a mobile device versus on a desktop? How about action and intent? How about a clear path to purchase? How about the gap between revenue and, well, none? We highlight a recent study by Marin Software that pinpoints just how valuable mobile search really is.
Consumers are fickle when it comes to wanting what we want, when we want it and why we deserve it. Mobile has contributed to our finicky nature and adjusted our expectations at a far faster rate than companies have been able to keep up with. What I'm talking about here is the single biggest challenge that individual retailers are facing when it comes to the connected consumer. Watch on.
Have we already become desensitized to mobile transactions? Think back to when you did your first debit payment — it was deliberate and focused, you needed to pay attention. Now these are common, something you do without thinking. The same could be said about the first time you did a "tap and go" transaction or even paid with your Starbucks app. These are now so common that we don't notice them. Is the same thing happening now to mobile payments? There are plenty of people doing them but have they become so much a part of our lives that we just aren't noticing them anymore? If this is true then they are following an adoption process that we've seen before.
The art of selling through mobile is very different from anything else we've seen before. For the most part, traditional tactics and pressure points do not work well on a mobile device. Instead, the mobile sell is a slow burn that starts with value given before the sale, during the sale and after the sale. I call this "crafting" the mobile experience and it requires a different way of thinking to make it work.
As you'll see in this short video, 3 large companies (Johnson & Johnson, Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi) are employing this thinking as they succeed in mobile while others fail. Watch on.
At the recent OMMA Mobile event at SXSW, Pamela Naumes, Director Brand Engagement at Bolthouse Farms, detailed the thing that marketers want from mobile. We like her thinking and adoption of mobile payments may depend on more people like Pamela leading the charge.
There is a model out there emerging called "value for value" and there is plenty of opportunity for this to be earned in the retail industry. Most consumers are not comfortable with retailers tracking their in-store habits UNLESS there is deep brand trust OR a quid pro quo: They will give data in return for something they deem valuable.
There must be a reason why consumers aren't using their smartphones during the shopping process - and you'd have to think that it would be a really really really good one. Right? A recent PWC global survey shows why and the answers are decidedly feature-based, not value-based. It isn't because the prices are higher or the inventory is lower, it is because of the lack of connectivity. I smell opportunity.
The mobile digital divide is upon us only this divide is a bit different. Chuck gives us three examples of how the smartphone remains at the centre of our mobile lives - despite the proliferation of connected devices. The thing is, they all need to connect with the phone. Maybe at some point the phone won't be as important but right now there is no doubt that it is THE hub for all things connected.
In what is becoming a commerce movement, everyone can become a business because of the mobile technology we carry in our pocket. A perfect example is what happened to Chuck when he needed a cab while at SXSW in Austin a few weeks ago...
Airlines are starting to see the value in allowing their customers to use phones to pay for tickets. They also starting to see the value to their business to help reduce costs, increase revenue, stave off the competition and to expand their business across borders. This won't be easy but they are waking up to the threat that ignoring mobile may be more painful and costly in the long run.
Location is as important in the mobile world as it is in the physical one when it comes to the shopping process. A new study by RSR Research shows how the phone impacts the consumer AND retailer experience to find and close sales. One of the alarming stats to come from this is around in-store price matching. Yikes! Watch on to understand.
While utility companies may be in the old-school plumbing business - offering services we have to pay for because we can't live without them - they are also poised to affect behavioural change when it comes to mobile payments as well. Only a small percentage of utility companies offer mobile payments, having more of them offer it may just speed up comfort and adoption for the masses. A recent study by Check, a California-based payments company, examines the reasons utility companies are looking towards mobile payments and what is stopping them today.
The equivalent to this on the web is the shopping cart abandonment rate but there may be one simple thing to fix this that is consistently being overlooked. Chuck talked to payment gateway company BlueSnap and the answer to this challenge may simply be in the language you use. Watch on.
Despite all the news about the incredible amount being transacted on the mobile web and through apps, the average mobile consumer is not enjoying their experience. This recent study shows us we still aren't crafting the right mobile experience to incite a transaction. It also highlights the top brands that are most browsed by mobile. What's wrong with the mobile experience? As you'll see, pretty much everything...
A month after Chuck signed up for ISIS, the mobile wallet partnership initiative formed by American Express, Chase and Wells Fargo, he set out again to try and find someone who will take his money. The results? Well, let's just say it may take a little longer for adoption than anticipated.
In a clear example of the consumer comfort level of paying from a phone, a recent MEF study shows that big ticket item spending from a phone grew faster than any other category. Another report by PhoCusWright on travel shines a light on the huge contribution mobile will have to sales in the coming years. If this trend continues pretty soon we'll be buying houses and planes from these things.
In what may seem to be a career-limiting move, the majority of retail CMO's are ignoring mobile according to a recent BDO study. I'm speechless. Watch on and if you are one of those in the 62%, polish up your resumé, quickly.
Our desire to pay with a mobile device sometimes overshadows some of the limits and merchant acceptance of the technologies that power the transactions. As you'll see in this episode, the common thread is that the utility of mobile payments to us will bring use instead of the technology being prescribed.
The ugly "app vs mobile web" question rears its head at least once a month and it is time to put an exclamation on this conversation right now...for this month at least. There is a clear difference on how consumers use mobile apps and mobile websites while they are shopping. Here, detailed in a short video, is very important information for you if you are trying to convert in-store mobile lurkers (which is everyone) into in-store mobile buyers. Intrigued? Watch on.
Mobile has added another dimension to the marketing axis - location. Chuck explains what anticipatory marketing is and how a few companies are leveraging its use to draw browsers into buyers. Understanding the "when" to talk to a customer is as important as the "why" and "where".
In a recent study by Monetate, called the Ecommerce Quarterly, shows some shocking research around mobile spending behaviours. The first and most surprising is the rise in the average order size by Android users - surpassing that of iOS users. Not only that but the average order size has risen substantially during the same period. Shocked? Watch on.
Mobile World Congress is the epicentre for innovation in the mobile realm - and it didn't disappoint this year. In this quick episode, Chuck examines the key announcements when it comes to mobile commerce and retail. Also in this episode is a quick framework to understand where all these things fit in to the current and future landscape.
The endless debate between mobile web or mobile app is front and center in the latest PWC study. There is no doubt that both are necessary but for different reasons. This episode takes a look at some of those differences but, really, this is a mobile web AND mobile app world.
It is crazy to think that a consumer would walk into a store, pick up a product and buy it without at least scanning it and checking for a better price online or off. We all understand the value of a coupon yet we don't do this simple act of scanning - it is basically like a coupon but without the store issuing it. The good news is that a lot of us are getting smarter. The bad news for retailers is that a lot of us are getting smarter.
A recent study by Marketing Land shows us exactly what consumers do with a smartphone inside a store. The results shouldn't be surprising - consumers use their phones to make sure they are getting the best product at the best price they can. The real surprise is that more people AREN'T doing it.
InMobi just released the findings of a massive global study they recently completed on global mobile media consumption. This episode focuses on the important data gathered related to mobile shopping, commerce and payments. There is no doubt that things are accelerating beyond boundaries and borders.
Making mobile payments easy is a hard thing to do. There is so much confusion because there are so many options, so many systems and so much work that needs to go into training staff - and then retraining them again. LoopWallet may be the answer to all of this but it comes with a price - an actual price. Watch on and ask yourself if you would pay to be able to pay.
The messaging mania is upon us and for good reason. Lately the focus has been on Facebook's $19B acquisition of WhatsApp but there have been many big moves in the industry that have not received the same media attention. Mogreet's acquisition by Payvia and their rebranding to Outspoken is one of them. Why is this important? Watch on.
About a year ago, Adidas converted a simple window display in front of a physical store in Germany into a store. The window store allowed passersby to interact with and eventually purchase product right from where they stood. The lessons they learned were invaluable and captured in this episode.
In order for the average consumer to adopt mobile payments there are three critical things that have to be present and Chuck details them for us here. Well above the tactical and technological aspect of mobile payments, there is a fourth requirement as well. Watch the episode to understand what that is.
When we use a web browser and hit up our favourite websites we leave a footprint. The site is most likely grabbing passive data about your browser, your operating system, your screen resolution, your connection speed and a bunch more data. Now this is moving over to the mobile world as companies like Survey Analytics collect passive data to serve you better. What does that mean? Go ahead and watch the video to find out.
With transactions totalling more than PayPal and Square COMBINED this company is set to take over the US market. How you ask? Well, their 800M accounts is a start. Who are they? Watch the episode to find out.
Put down your keyboards and forget text-based search - it's time to tap the screen and get results. I'm talking about image search and two of the biggest companies want you to use their products to find what you are looking for by taking a picture. The two companies are Amazon with their newly updated app feature called Flow and Google with Google Goggles. Both companies are offering something unique but both have their own motivations. Watch the episode to see what they are and why it is important to you.
Screens are getting smarter - WAY smarter - and Pepsi's smart cooler is a perfect example. Part dispensing machine but mostly screen, this Intel-based smart box reacts to the behaviours of the buyers and collects reams of data. This is just one example of the marriage of screen and function Chuck came across at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas. There is much more to come as companies grasp this new surface-based opportunity.
Whether you call it a "holiday" or not, valentine's day is a commercial bonanza for florists chocolatiers and lingerie shops but it was also a boon for savvy mobile-ready retailers. According to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, the week leading up to valentine's day was all about love and mobile.
We all have our price when it comes to giving up a little piece of privacy. For some it will be a latte, for others a discount on something they covet. For the rest of us? How about a little value?
A simple question: Will it be actual hackers that hinder the adoption of mobile payments or will it be the threat of hackers that slows it? Chuck had an experience recently that illustrates this very problem.
For better or worse, the smartphone has gradually become the centre of all communications and, now, it is becoming the hub of the first incarnation of the Internet of Things (IoT). More and more wearables and peripherals are using the smarts of the device and low energy bluetooth (BLE) to add relevance and simplicity to our lives. Chuck takes a look at a few he bumped into while touring the floor at CES in January.
The United States has gone smartphone crazy as you will see by the stats Chuck presents in this episode. As adoption skyrockets, so too do the sites and apps we all interact with. Pay close attention to the commonality among the websites we visit and the apps we use from our smartphones - is this homogeneity good?
As consumers adopt more forms of mobile payments and retailers adapt to accept them, fraudulent behaviour begins to draw attention as well as drain bank accounts. Chuck summarizes a recent study from Javelin Strategy & Research on behalf of LexisNexis that takes a look at the impact of fraud on the nascent mobile commerce industry.
Smartphones really are becoming the epicentre of our digital lives. As you’ll see in this episode, much of how we’ll interact with our surroundings - be that how we control and watch content or pay for goods - will involve the devices we carry in our pockets or purses. Chuck details a number of examples throughout the episode but focuses on the ease with which mobile payment company Paydiant helps make mobile payments simple.
Beacons to the right of us. Beacons to the left of us. We are entering a beacon world and it is imperative that business owners, consumers and software makers understand what this means for them. Chuck summarizes the 5 things we all need to understand about this incredible opportunity. Think of this as Beacons 101 in 2 minutes.
The car is a huge opportunity on so many fronts. The first and most obvious is while you are inside it. The second is the process by which you buy cars in general. Two companies, Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi offer their insight into the influence mobile is and will be having on the auto industry.
Mobile is one of the greatest testing platforms for companies to make small bets and get some real feedback. Chuck highlights how two large companies (Quiznos and Diamond Foods) are using small scale mobile tests to see what resonates with their customers. You say small tests I say brilliant strategy.
Location is the killer context for advertisers. When it is used properly it can attract and draw customers to local and relevant businesses. When it goes awry, it has little to no effect. What makes it work? According to a very extensive survey done by Thinknear, proximity has an enormous impact on effectiveness as you'll see in this episode. The survey also brings up one of the most relevant discussion points about this nascent technology - something that reduces its impact and costs advertisers money. Watch on.
The latest large-scale IDC study on mobile consumer behaviour over the holidays confirms that the devices we carry actually enhance the shopping experience. Simply put, mobile creates happier shoppers. The study also looks at the companies who dominated in mobile shopping over the holidays. Can you guess who they were?
Mobile payments are a perfect example of throwing the technology in front of the user experience. With so many options vying for our attention and wallet, the differentiator is going to be how payment companies make the experience a more seamless part of their customer's day. If you lead with payments you will lose. If you lead with experience and payments "happen" you will win. Not sure what I mean? Watch the video.
It only takes a second or two but the vast majority of consumers do not scan products they are about to buy. Why do it? Well, as detailed in this episode, not doing it leads to paying higher prices. Doing it, leads to paying lower prices. Which sounds better? Stop paying the stupid tax...
The mobile wallet is a promise being made by companies from Google to Starbucks to the carrier consortiums but what will it take to move it closer to ubiquity? According to research firm Parks Associates, a large percentage of US smartphone users will be using a mobile wallet of some sort in the coming years...but why? Watch this to find out.
A recent study by IDC revealed some startling numbers around the confusing world retailers face when dealing with us, their customers. The fine line between providing value to us or offending us has never been easier to cross - the hope is that you use this information to remain on the good side. Watch this episode to understand.
Retailers are doing a better job of bringing shoppers into their stores according to Euclid Analytics. This is GREAT news right? Well...Most shoppers are more educated, make targeted decisions while in the store and leave much faster. Great news if you understand what they want and how to provide that experience. Not so great news if you are burying your head in the sand like many are doing.
Despite 2013 being - in earnest - the year mobile commerce emerged and set record upon record upon record for mobile spending, retailers left money on the table. Not just a little bit of money either. According to Jumio, $16 billion (BILLION) was lost due to various reasons we detail in this episode. $16 BILLION! You'd better watch...
With 800 million registered accounts in China there is not really another company on the planet who can give an assessment on the future of mobile commerce other than Alipay. Chuck met with Jingming Li, the Chief Architect at the company and got his thoughts on the state of the industry.
Adoption of mobile payments and mobile commerce require gateway industries to embrace them so we all become comfortable using them. A perfect example of this is the gas pump - we all use them, we all need them and they are among the first to commit to the latest and greatest technologies and concepts that we now think are common. Services like pre-pay, tap-and-go payments, loyalty cards and co-marketing initiatives. Whether we know it or not, gas stations are the litmus test for a ton of experiments that have gone mainstream. So it shouldn't surprise us that they are now heavily experimenting with a great combination of the pump, the screen, your mobile device and merchandise. Take a look at this Gilbarco Veeder-Root initiative and you'll see another innovation from the gas pump that may hasten our use of mobile wallets.
More convenient than cash. That has to be the mantra for mobile commerce providers today. It has to be more convenient than using cash. Consumers aren't going to change their behaviours to accommodate new technology - at first. The gap between cash and mobile is so great that jumping from one to the other may be too much of a leap for most. This is why Loop is so interesting. Is this the transitory payment tech that brings it to the mobile side? You decide.
Remember when you saw your first QR code on a screen? Quick! Pull out your phone, launch your QR code scanning software, scan the code - whoops, too late. Well, an innovative company from France called Think & Go may have just solved two challenges: The complexity of the QR code AND what to use NFC for.
Recent research from Equation Research on behalf of marketing firm Vibes details the habits of smartphone shoppers and browsers. The results showcase the key to understanding how and when consumers make their buy decisions and how and when and by what means retailers should be reaching out to them to help the process.
We all know that mobile influences much of how, what and when we buy but just to make sure and remove all doubt we've got more proof. Custora, a predictive analytics company for ecommerce marketing teams, released their results from 100 retailers over the Nov-Dec holiday shopping season. Care to wager what it said?
Have you ever noticed how many screens there are around us? Aside from what you are watching this on. Aside from your smartphone, your television set, your second television set, your tablet or your ereader. There are screens everywhere and, until almost right this moment in time, they have been broadcasting TO you but that is about to change in dramatic fashion. Here's why.
The title credit goes to "Signs" by the Five Man Electrical Band
The car was prominent at CES this year and all of the manufacturers are aggressively going after the captive consumer. Once a cabin owned by radio, the car is now being infiltrated by software, hardware and service companies alike. What does the future look like with a connected phone and a connected car? Here's a glimpse.
CES has always brought with it the promise of the future but quite often what is on display will never become real products. In this quick hit, Chuck details which company impressed him during the pre-conference press demonstrations - one with actual product that may really ship.
Chuck offers his thoughts upon returning from Las Vegas and The International CES Show. Some good, some bad, some completely odd and some things he is looking forward to trying out.
I think it is safe to say that Christmas 2013 was really mobile’s debutant ball. The numbers are staggering when it comes to the influence mobile had just on transactions - not to mention how it helped in the decision making process. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are the latest stats from IBM on this mobile-fuelled shopping season.
Chuck details his challenge of setting up and using ISIS - the mobile wallet partnership between American Express, Wells Fargo and Chase. Needless to say there are kinks to be worked out - well, not just kinks...Watch on.
Is what a shopper wants different than what retailers are giving them through their mobile applications? The answer is yes. The disconnect is amazing when you look at what is offered versus what is being asked for. Retailers take note, consumers (you and I) are astute, engaged and ready for more than the location of the nearest store.
2013 ended with a mobile commerce flourish between the American Thanksgiving and Boxing Day. Was this the culmination of a number of trends that poked their head up during the rest of the year? We look back at some of the most popular and contentious articles Chuck wrote during the year to see. We also look a little into the future of what to expect in 2014.
The International CES Show is HUGE and often overwhelming. Hear what Chuck is focusing on and some of the companies he is looking forward to seeing when he visits Vegas this year.
IBM Research released their "5 in 5" report in which they predict local shopping will come back in favour over the next 5 years. Does this hold water? Do retailers understand what it is they need to do in order to make this happen? Chuck gives us a little more insight into what this will look like and whether he thinks they can do it.
Mobile is all about context - the where, when and why that will eventually enable its every use. Pricing is, at its root, the same thing - a balance between demand and supply where scarcity and desire are its fuel. What happens when you put the two together? Perhaps prices are manipulated but more good should come of it than evil as value goes beyond the price you'd pay.
Applebee's is putting 100,000 tablets on the tables in their restaurants for patrons to order from. Is this a trend that we will see more of or is it a waste of money as most of us turn to our smartphones instead?
Mobile web or mobile app? The simple answer is "yes" to both and be done but that is not easy to implement. In fact, when it comes to some of the biggest retailers on the planet (Sears and Staples for example), they are spending more and more time on their mobile web presence this shopping season. Here's why.
Two recent studies show us the change in the shopping patterns for many consumers that carry a smartphone. These studies reveal two very important trends for retailers and what influences the consumer to enter and buy from a business.
Here is another angle on the old "app vs web" debate that has been raging since mobile began. Some new research by Citrix Mobile Analytics helps shine a light on the mobile traffic split between the mobile web and apps for some of the largest digital brands.
We are all walking into businesses with our devices in tow but what exactly do we do with them once we are inside? A recent study by Usablenet answers this - the question is what are you going to do with this information? Lots I hope.
Stats stats and more stats. This time we aggregate the numbers and showcase the places mobile is touching our shopping and purchasing behavious. Incidentaly...that is EVERYWHERE.
The mobile numbers are simply STAGGERING so far this holiday season. When I say staggering, I mean to the point that if you are ignoring mobile, ignoring the influence it has on decision making or ignoring the precision it brings to business, this may just be your last green Christmas...if you know what I mean.
The numbers are starting to come in about the impact that mobile had on two of the busiest shopping days of the year - Black Friday and Cyber Monday - and it was a very very very mobile weekend.
This is absolutely the season of the survey and recent releases by Tapjoy, Experian Marketing Services and MillwardBrown Digital show us when and how we will be using our smartphones during the shopping process this Christmas.
There have been promises of the end of paper since paper was invented it seems and now it is time to shift our attention to the coupon. A small (soon to be bigger) company called SnipSnap has partnered with Valpak - the largest distributor of coupons in North America - to bring their coupons to your mobile device with little to no effort. Is this the end of its printed cousin or will this be just like the paperless office?
Mobile has made it so that many of us shop with intent. This means that all the research has been done, all the toing and froing about the spend has happened, all the buyers regret or remorse has passed and they are ready to buy. Research has shown that we are spending less time in stores because what we are looking for is not available - and there is very little interest in browsing. Now comes some new research that looks at the difference in how we use our PCs vs our smartphone in the shopping lifecycle and what this means to anyone selling to us.
The lines are being blurred between digital and physical retail with a slew of recent announcements on consumer preferences and companies trying to capitalize on them. This episode focuses on a key few that include our shifting behaviours to gift cards, the bridging of the digital and physical worlds from your smartphone and a pure-play digital wallet offering physical cards.
Do you really like going into stores to shop around Black Friday or Christmas? Well, apparently many of us look more forward to visiting a dentist than subjecting ourselves to this ritual - yet we still do it. Why and for how long? The challenges this poses for retailers during this, their make or break season, are many but fear not, mobile can help.
Captain Kirk used it. So did Picard. If Nuance has its way, you will be able to as well. Voice authentication may be just around the corner and it could have huge implications on commerce. Passwords, credit cards and even finger prints could be a thing of the past as we authenticate and purchase our way through life with just our words.
Black Friday signals the start of the Christmas shopping season and every year we see the growing influence of mobile in the shopping and purchasing patterns of consumers. What does this year's edition look like? Bigger. Better. Less hair-pulling? According to Accenture's holiday shopping survey results, mobile's influence will be vast. So don't forget to grab a barcode reader and do a little research before buying anything.
Mobile has empowered the consumer to the point that sales people on the floor are having a hard time keeping up with their product knowledge - and this is a problem. What is the impact of this shift in power to the mobile consumer? How can retailers (or any business for that matter) help their sales people become relevant again? Watch on.
Finally, some conclusive numbers from Deloitte on how consumers use smartphones and tablets in the shopping process. If all this adds another layer of freight to your work, we have a solution at the end of this episode on where you should focus your efforts first. Take careful consideration of the experience you provide and when - it can influence a decision to buy from you or from your competitor...
The device has become an extension to our wallet but what exactly is it that consumers want to do with it? The obvious isn't so obvious and, based on a recent study released by TSYS, consumers aren't interested in doing what we think they are.
Spindle, a mobile payments company, is rolling out their services block by block, city by city, cup of coffee by cup of coffee. Chuck recently talked to Spindle CEO Bill Clark about his company and their hyper local global pursuits.
We all understand the need to have incredible customer service as a part of our business mantra. Think back to the last time the service you received was so great that you made a point to return to that business again. Customer service is the gateway to loyalty and understanding that mobile is playing an increasingly important role in this cycle is where this episode focuses. Do it right and there is opportunity. Do it wrong - and many are - and the rest doesn't matter.
Your customers are out there, wanting to buy from you through their mobile device but YOU aren't letting them. Watch this episode for some incredible insight on what you are leaving behind by ignoring or not fully embracing the mobile experience. The question I have is who will is taking that business away from you?
With ComScore going public with Christmas bumping this quarter's mobile spending up to $10B, Chuck surfaces some timely research on consumer spending patterns for the coming season. This research includes how much are consumers going to spend from their phones and what they are doing with their phones while in and out of the store.
Shopkick has been a pioneer in the mobile rewards world since it's launch 3.5 years ago. Chuck Martin recently had a chat with their CEO, Cyriac Roeding, about the company and the trends they are seeing in this new mobile/retail/rewards/loyalty world.
Listen up folks, unfortunately the battle to attract customers into your retail location is only the start of the purchase cycle. Customers are becoming more and more diligent as to where and when they spend their money because of the connected devices they all carry. Just because you get them in the store doesn't mean they will actually buy from you. All is not lost as you will see in this episode - the opportunities to create life-long customers are right in front of you, you just need to use the technology they do. Watch and learn.
There must have been a visionary that coined the phrase "bricks and mortar" if you consider the shrapnel the retail industry has absorbed since the web - and now mobile - processed its first transaction. If in-store experience is one of the key differentiators between the impersonal convenience of screen buying and creating a life-long committed customer, the focus has to be on getting consumers into the store. But how? Perhaps this is the answer...for now.
The mobile app world has been traditionally divided into apps that we play with, apps that we use for work, apps that we use to socialize with and totalitarian apps that serve a single function or purpose - banking apps fall into this category. As time has passed, we have seen the blending of many of these into commerce-enabled or transaction enabled or marketing enabled apps - you have to make a buck right?
Well, now the banks are looking at this industry with wide eyes as US Bank and Monitise try to close the gap between the money in our accounts and the product we want to buy. Is this too much control by too few or the natural evolution of banking? You decide.
June 29, 2007 is the date credited with the acceleration of the mobile movement but that date may also have started in motion the beginning of the end of the price tag as well. You see, that was the date the first iPhone was launched and since then, mobile has completely altered the way we purchase product - and the way we look at the price of products. It started with showrooming and has migrated to price matching - the power has definitely shifted to the consumer and here's a perfect example of that in action.
How important is owning the mobile customer? Well, if you take a look at the list of brands that are starting to accept mobile payments within their apps you will get the point. Subway is the latest brand to roll this out inside their app but they didn't build it. More and more companies are relying on white label services to get this part of their business onto devices and into their customers hands.
There is no doubt that mobile commerce has permeated the four corners of the earth. In line with the distribution of devices, payments from and to mobile devices have been increasing at an incredible rate right across the globe. A recent study shows this growth and the impact. Watch this.
The mantra for retail has always been "Location! Location! Location!" but that is changing. Today, thanks to the mobile device we all carry, location and context contributes to the relevance of shopping. Pay close attention to this as it is no longer about being on a busy intersection it is about being at the intersection of time, place and need.
The long-awaited and oft-predicted death of SMS will have to wait I guess. It seems that as we all get hammered with message after message after message in email and through the social networks that the one thing that we can control is who we wish to receive SMS offers from. Only the elite of the elite get to send us text messages about their brand and it is something that many retailers are not even thinking about at this moment. Think about this: As the noise gets louder and louder and you need to discount more and more to entice customers to your business, SMS may be the one true direct conversation starter that remains uncluttered because it is in the hands of the consumer. The problem is that you need to show value above and beyond to keep people interested. You have been challenged.
It should be NO surprise that mobile will have an impact on the shopping habits of consumers. There were a record number of transactions that happened over mobile last year, and this year will be no different according to Josh Chasin of Comscore. The fact we are purchasing more from our mobile is not shocking, the influence it has on our decision making and buying process is. What are you doing to enable (or attract) mobile shoppers? Start thinking about that this very moment or it may be a bleak mobile shopping season for your company.
You would think that MasterCard would be solely focused on the transaction part of the mobile commerce path but that is not the case. The way Mung Ki Woo, MasterCard's EVP Mobile & Industry Alliances puts it makes it seem that the transaction is just simply the culmination of a series of commerce interactions throughout our day. A day that mobile plays an increasingly important part in. Here's a glimpse of that concept.
There are a handful of mega brands that are embracing mobile with every fibre of their business. We hear often about Starbucks and Lowe's but another you should watch is Coca-Cola. I've been blown away by their approach to mobile since I interviewed Tom Daly in early 2012 (found here) and the way they are currently focused on creating conversations through mobile - instead of the transaction - is something we can all learn from.
There is a battle going on right now around who owns the final payment but, as you'll see in this mobile minute, that is the WRONG place to be focused on right now. There are so many contributors to the eventual payment that, if overlooked, will doom any mobile commerce initiative. The transaction is a commodity, a result of the effort before it, not the strategy. Are you focusing in the right place? I hope so...
The iPhone 5s brings with it a slew of new features, none of which are more important to the mobile commerce industry than the fingerprint scanner. Why? Watch on.
Every once in a while, the connected consumer is faced with the rarest of retail experiences - the product they want is cheaper IN the store than online. How does this happen? When the consumer is armed with all the information available to them...actually, all you need is a smartphone and, well, that's it really. Here's a quick example of how this phenomenon happens.
Flint is another payment processor this time with a little bit of a new angle: It does't require any additional hardware, just scan the card like taking a photo, punch in the security number and you are done. The credit card number is not stored anywhere. The question is, do we need yet another mobile payment processor (YAMPP)?
Not shocking that this discussion is now raging among retailers. While the demand and download pace for mobile apps has grown, so has the need for a mobile website which has added a level of confusion and frustration. The answer to this riddle? You need both and here's why.
It seems as though consumers are beyond text when it comes to searching for products to buy. Photos have emerged as THE research tool for smart shoppers - whether it means they take pictures of products they want or make buy decisions from other people's photos. Either way, this is a trend that retailers and marketers cannot ignore.
It took them a while to come around but B2B companies are finally seeing the "mobile light" and are now starting to bring it into their businesses. The opportunities are great for those entrepreneurs and enterprising companies to build tools to help enable these companies from - and between - smartphones. Watch to understand how.
Google announced that it will be lessening the reliance Google Wallet has on NFC for payments - a strong sign that perhaps NFC is not ready for payments primetime. It also announced that it is available on iOS as well. What does this mean for Google Wallet? Watch on.
Mobile has spurred our imagination about the future of payments and commerce and companies like PayPal, Square and Apple are right in the thick of things. All 3 are seemingly pushing the same agenda of hands free payments. Are we ready for this?
Do people with lots of money use mobile to shop differently? What is the impact of this super tech-savvy mobilized group on mobile commerce and mobile payments? Watch to see the latest research about this fringe group.
I don't know many people that haven't used online banking now and the early adopters are migrating that use over to mobile. That seems logical and if you look at the adoption patters of online banking I'm sure we are going to see the same translate across to mobile. A recent study by xAd and telmetrics tackles the banking, retail and gas & convenience industries. You can find the results here.
It's true, mobile gives marketers incredible super powers. These super powers can be used for good (cool) or evil (creepy) and it is up to us to make sure that we tip the scale towards what should be done in the best interest of customers versus what could be done in the best interest of the business. Here are some tips to make sure we stay on the right side of this.
The debate of print vs mobile when it comes to coupons has been raging for a few years now and it doesn't look like there is a clear end in sight - or does there. Printed coupons still own the lions share of use but that might just be a generation of users stuck in their habits. They aren't dead yet but their future does not look too promising...
In the olden days, the hard part for most retailers was putting their unique products in front of their customers. Once they did that, more often than not, the choice was made by the consumer and the purchase closed. Today that just isn't reality any more. We are constantly shopping - even if we've made up our mind on what we'd like to buy. There is great distance between what we want and where we spend our money and the influence mobile has on this decision. Purchases no longer happen from A to B in a straight line and this needs to factor in as we try to understand the contribution mobile is having on our shopping behaviours.
The battle is just starting when it comes to mobile payments and there are MANY hurdles to get over that we can already identify - plus many more that haven't yet crossed our radar. All that aside, Chuck illustrates a perfect example of a situation where mobile payments would be a perfect solution to a huge pain.
This movement that we are all a part of is as global as global gets. What makes mobile and mobile commerce and mobile marketing and mobile payments so great is that the scripts are playing out differently depending on the continent you live on. We can all learn from each other and that is the key message Chuck absorbed while in Germany recently.
On a previous Mobile Minute we talked about the end of the printed circular and, boy, did watchers react but not in the way we expected! Clearly there is demand for print but I wonder for how long.
Foursquare announced their new proactive recommendations recently and Chuck talks about the implications and caveats for this highly social service. I wonder if this is too little too late to save Foursquare.
The assault on the print industry has been monumental since we all started carrying smartphones and using tablets. The thing is that most people spending money on print will say it is effective, that it drives sales or store visits more effectively than other means (depending on the business). But a recent study during the Memorial Day holiday paints a very different picture...
There are so many similarities between the emerging mobile commerce world and the nascent commercial web and this includes the concern over security. But that is only the start. There is confusion here and it runs deeper than simply securing a transaction. For 88% of retailers YOU are the reason customers won't buy through mobile.
Watch out retailers, the mobile-only revolution is upon us and consumers are in control. Aside from the staggering number of mobile-only visitors to retailer websites, there is a massive difference in what they are interested in purchasing based on the device they carry. It is time to start thinking about the devices that your customers are using to serve up the most relevant content or risk leaving money on the table.
Of all the things mobile devices can do, apparently consumers are not as interested in actually closing the transaction on the device. The results of a Placed study confirms that trying to close too quickly will lead to fewer sales. Here's what they said.
There is so much promise around the concept of the mobile wallet - we all see it, even the consumer in us wants it. So why hasn't it taken hold? The answer is pretty simple. Watch the video.
You've carefully crafted and executed your mobile strategy. You've set expectations with your customers. You've created a strong marketing plan to help infiltrate the pockets of your customers. You've listened to experts. You've sold your board. You are ready for launch, what could go wrong? Well...this could happen and completely unravel all your efforts.
A brand new terrible term is reigning down on mobile marketers called "geo-conquesting" - clearly not coined by a good marketer...It is, for now, a great way for your competitors to use geofencing against you. The implications are big for now but can this survive the abuse that is about to be started at the hands of marketers? Not sure.
Are we more loyal to shopping and our devices than we are to merchants? The answer is yes and here are the numbers to prove it. This is not pretty if you are a retailer. You've been warned, now what are you going to do about it?
The rise, fall and slow rise again of the QR code is something of a business lesson unto itself. Busting out of the corner it was jammed into early in its day, the QR code may be ready to re-emerge. The thing is, marketers got lazy with them their first time around and the jury is out on their value BUT the tenacity of Scanbuy is a great business story.
Mobile commerce is not just a "where you live" thing - it is a global revolution and with that comes some amazing differences on how it is used depending on the country you live in. A recent report by Netbiscuits highlights the growing impact of mobile commerce on the way the world uses their devices in the purchasing process. But, like good caring mobile folk, we summarize the highlights for you here.
Has Valpak just made augmented reality a more consumer-friendly technology? AR is a terrible consumer term so Valpak decided to use the technology just not the name. They call their new coupon finding service 3D Savings and it has landed on the doorstep of 40 million americans. Is this the tide changing for augmented reality?
Mobile shopping should not be feared - unless you ignore it. The influence of smartphones on the purchase process is in its infancy but already changing the way consumers find, research and pay for product. These are the 6 pieces of the mobile shopping life cycle - detailed by the guy who invented it.
Mobile wallets are the industry promise that hasn't quite arrived yet but one thing is for sure, early adopters are loyal to their m-wallet. The challenge now is to figure out how to bring users on to the various platforms.
Most of us think of Starbucks as the canary for the mobile industry but Staples is about to enter the fray in a serious way. They are set to launch their brand new mobile site that brings their on-device retail offering ahead of their competition. This company is in transition to a true digital organization and they realize the importance of being mobile first.
For consumers it used to be about buying product but now it is about the dollars they want to spend. Just because a customer walks in your doors with a product in mind doesn't mean they are ultimately going to buy from you. They have a dollar figure they are about to spend and if there is a better deal to be had - whether it is a similar product from a competitor or not - the consumer may pull the plug on you. This is the power of a well-executed mobile strategy.
The promise of augmented reality may finally be coming to fruition for mobile commerce. Companies like Blippar are helping large brands deepen their engagement with customers by providing more product value or utility and will eventually be able to convert them into buyers. Here's how.
Three studies focused on the mobile consumer all point to almost 1 of every 5 mobile users are buying product from their mobile device. Where is this number going and why is it so significant?
As difficult as it may seem to believe there are a large number of retailers that simply aren't going to start using mobile to help grow their business. I suppose they have their reasons but the ones they should be looking at are the dollars that their former customers will be spending with their competitors.
It's already the back half of the year so we turn our attention to the Christmas season and mobile's influence on retail sales. Most are looking at mobile as a way to grow revenue and most are putting dollars into getting ready for it. What are they giving up? Watch to find out.
While the promise of the mobile wallet hasn't materialized for consumers yet, this doesn't mean there aren't a large number of companies out there trying to solve the mobile wallet "last mile." Some of the names are known, others aren't but are powering transactions from brands you know. Welcome to the complicated and competitive world of the mobile wallet.
It is a promise that has yet to arrive despite some of the biggest companies in payment processing getting involved. Today we are talking about mobile payments, mobile wallets and the confusion that stands between it and us. Will it ever come? Not soon enough that's for sure!
The three greatest words for parents around this time are "back to school" but this year mobile will play a hand in how and where we shop. The influence mobile usage is already having on how parents shop for their kids is staggering and it will only get bigger.
Many retailers are opting to focus on the mobile web instead of native apps. What does this do for the mobile elite - those of us that download, install and use multiple apps and insist that mobile is NOT just an extension of the desktop web? Don't forget the elite as you build out your strategy.
The "apps vs mobile web" debate rages on, this time in the retail experience. Two companies, Xtify and Usablenet are making it easy for retail locations to offer a customized, real time experience via the mobile web while in a retail location. Will this put an end to this blasted debate or add more fuel to the fire?
It used to be that we would provide the data we wanted to at retail locations - zip codes, telephone numbers for example. Today we are broadcasting more than we know and it is helping retailers understand what motivates us to move from the sidewalk to the store and, eventually, to the checkout. Today, we, the consumers of earth, are the data.
Surprisingly, it doesn't take much to woo a consumer and close the buy loop. It may seem surprising but you don't have to discount your products by 50% to make a customer happy. Don't give away your business!
Chuck describes the new typical retail experience thanks to mobile. If this is the norm, what should retailers do to close the deal while the customer stands in front of them? The answer is surprisingly simple.
While it seems everyone is fighting over who will unseed or disrupt the credit cards as a form of payment, it is easy to forget the largest market for payments that is ready to be mobilized.
Apps are becoming an effective conduit to revenue by extending and simplifying traditional businesses. Chuck features the perfect example here - provided you have a net worth of over $1 million and don't like flying commercial airlines.
What lesson can a little app like Gas Buddy teach us about doing the small things that lead to a huge user base? Well, as Springsteen says, "it's the little things that count" and Gas Buddy does a bunch of them right.
Retailers are in a tough spot because of mobile but it seems as though their customers (we, the consumers) are telling them exactly what they want from them. If this is the case, why aren't they listening and what will the consequences be?
Glueing screens together isn’t practical but what is evident is the need to understand multi-screen behaviours and how that can impact – and enhance – a buy decision.
Chuck took to New York to host the OMMA mCommerce conference and came away with these key insights for the mCommerce world.
Will a new breed of app help replace the car salesman or enhance the car buying experience?
With everybody focused on the transaction part of mobile commerce, we look at the importance of what comes beforehand
Have you ever wondered what types of stores mobile users are happiest at and what makes them happy? Then this Mobile Minute is for you. The research is brought to you by GigaOm pro and delivered by us