Mobile Shopping: Buy Stuff On the Move

Mobile shopping is changing the shopping experience forever. In today’s world, people are using their smartphones for multiple requirements. Even for shopping, they use it before heading to a store, to gather all the relevant ideas and information.

They are also using it to research products and search for other useful information. As time goes by; people are slowly beginning to realise the power and benefits of shopping on the move; using their mobiles too.

All the free time people get these days are used for browsing through their phone. At the airport, railway station or the bus stand; you will find people glued to their mobile phones. Some people are making buying decisions while travelling, walking the dog or even while waiting somewhere for something.

The mobile-fueled shopping landscape is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to grow further and reach new heights. Retailers are using a lot of new technologies, software and hardware to create the best systems that enable shoppers to comfortably do their shopping using their mobiles.

The internet has changed the way people do their shopping. It is now possible to get virtually anything, at any time, from any retailer around the world. This is one of the main reasons the eCommerce business model is in booming mode for the past several years.

Companies like Amazon.com and Ubuy.com have brought shopping to our fingertips and redefined how shopping is done across the globe.

Advantages of Mobile Shopping

  • Convenience to shop from anywhere in the world – 24/7
  • Easy access to different online stores, brands and merchandise
  • Takes lesser time to find the right product and complete the shopping process
  • Option to compare similar products from multiple brands along with the prices
  • Multiple payment options
  • Better experience for the users
  • Personalized notifications and suggestions
  • Offers a new marketing channel
  • Saves time, energy and money for stakeholders
  • Location tracking facilities to provide appropriate information
  • Products delivered to any address
  • Easy to add new customers
  • Detailed product information, specifications, and videos
  • Customers can read the product reviews and comments before deciding
  • Customers can get better deals, offers, coupon codes, gifts hampers etc
  • Can be a fun and exciting process

Some Interesting Statistics about Mobile Shopping

  • More than half of all the internet traffic happens through mobile devices.
  • 1.8 billion people worldwide purchase goods online.
  • Around 62% of people who use mobile phones have made a purchase using their devices in the past 6 months.
  • Customers are using mobile-friendly websites or mobile applications to do their purchases.
  • Around 35% of US-based consumers use only mobile devices to do shopping online.
  • Mobile shoppers spend more money than other types of shoppers.
  • In 2018 Cyber Monday alone generated about 2 Billion USD in sales and more than half of it was done from mobile devices.
  • People are spending 3 to 4 hours per day on mobile devices.
  • 58% of google searches are done using mobile devices.
  • 51% of people open a mobile App up to 10 times a day.

Factors Influencing Use of Mobile Devices for Shopping

  • The ability to see the product pictures clearly
  • Products with clear descriptions
  • Use of mobile-friendly version of the websites
  • Quick and easy loading of the site or App
  • Ability to read product reviews
  • Option to see and compare the price of any product
  • The security level of the website or App
  • Availability of a user-friendly shopping App
  • Size of the text and link available on the website
  • Good customer service

What are Customers Buying?

The amount of time spent on mobile varies depending on the type of products and other factors. People are actually more interested and comfortable in buying smaller and less expensive products on their phone.

Something that is easily depicted and communicated like a book, song, video game, etc are more easy and convenient to buy since it does not require much information. But if you are buying living room furniture then people take a long time to analyze all the factors. Some people like to touch and feel the stuff they buy.

Some of the top product categories that people buy on mobile are video games, consoles and accessories, toys and hobby stuff, jewellery and watches, sports and fitness equipment, home and garden products, software, apparel and accessories, etc.

The COVID19 pandemic has seen a great rise in the sales of product categories such as virus protection related products like sanitizers, masks, gloves, temperature guns, medical wipes, air purifiers, surface disinfectants, cleaning sprays, UV light disinfectants and some other products like toilet paper, OTC drugs, canned foods etc. During the panic buying mode, the sales and demand for these products just skyrocketed.

Conclusion

Online shopping and mobile shopping space are continuously growing and evolving over the years. It will continue to see excellent growth in the future as well; since more people are beginning to use mobiles and also accessing the internet. They also love the convenience it offers.

No business can ignore the power of online shopping. To survive and thrive in the current scenario companies need to harness the power of the latest technologies and adapt quickly to the changing scenarios. It offers multiple benefits for the shoppers and the eCommerce business players.

Companies can attract customers and also lose customers easily in the mobile shopping business. So it is essential to create better and more efficient systems to provide a seamless shopping experience to customers who prefer to use the mobile shopping platform.