IBM: 2012 holiday shopping season to be 'the year of mobile'

ARMONK, N.Y. — IBM's fifth annual Online Retail Holiday Readiness report has uncovered that 2012 may just be the year of mobile.



Based on data from more than 500 U.S. retailers, the report found that online mobile sales increased 88.8% in second quarter 2012, compared with year-ago period.



What's more, IBM is forecasting that mobile sales will reach 20% of total online holiday sales this holiday season, and that mobile traffic will close in on 25%.



However, despite the growing trend in mobile shopping, social is lagging, according to IBM. The company’s recent Retail Online Index saw a 20% decline in social shopping in the second quarter, attributable to a lack of understanding on how to fully leverage social media, IBM said. Additionally, the IBM 2011 Chief Marketing Officer study showed that 65% of CMOs surveyed believe they are underprepared for the growth of social and online channels.



Similarly, IBM's "State of Marketing" 2012 survey found marketers are in the experimental stage when it comes to social media channels.