With the latest ONS research revealing that 96 per cent of UK adults now go online via mobile device and 76 per cent shop online, retailers without a comprehensive mobile commerce strategy risk extinction.
Driven by smartphone penetration and access to 4G, mobile internet usage has increased exponentially in the last few years according to the ONS’s Internet Access- Households and Individuals 2015 report.
Ninety six per cent now access the internet through a mobile phone, more than doubling from just 24 per cent in 2010. At the same time, 76 per cent of all adults in the UK made a purchase online in 2015, up from just 53 per cent five years ago.
Dan Wagner, eCommerce veteran, Founder and CEO of Powa Technologies, comments: “The rapid increase in personal internet access has transformed many aspects of our lives, but perhaps none more so than how we browse and purchase goods and services. The vast majority of the population now shops online, with over 12 per cent of all retail sales coming through eCommerce in June.
“The advent of the smartphone and access to reliable mobile internet has changed the landscape completely in the last five years. In today’s always-on, mobile-driven culture, it seems hard to believe that only 24 per cent of people accessed the internet via mobile in 2010.
“The writing has been on the wall for many years now, but a surprising number of brands and retailers have still not adapted their strategies to match consumer demand. People have become accustomed to the ability to browse and buy on a whim, and time is running out quickly for those brands without a comprehensive mobile strategy.”
Powa Technologies created the innovative PowaTag mobile commerce platform to empower retailers to meet changing consumer demands. After downloading the free app, customers can complete transactions in seconds with pre-stored information, using a wide variety of triggers to suit any environment. Users can scan printed tags on anything from products to displays and adverts, pick up audio tags in live and pre-recorded broadcasts, or simply tap to buy instantly online and through social media. The universal potential of the app has seen more than 1,200 leading retailers and brands across three continents sign up to deploy the technology.
Dan adds: “It is not enough to simply provide an online store – brands must seek out new ways to attract and engage their customers through mobile devices wherever they are, whether walking past a shop window, waiting for a bus, or browsing online at home. Mobile engagement also holds the key to uniting online and physical sales, creating a single seamless experience to match consumer expectations. As both mobile internet access and smartphone ownership reach saturation point, retailers have the opportunity to move the shopping experience beyond the rigid and outdated queuing and paying structure.”
