Why retailers shouldn't depend on apps for sales

When it comes to the rapidlychanging retail landscape and how retailers should respond to engage shoppers, it turns out that it's not all about the app.

A new study by Forrester Consulting commissioned byRetailMeNot Inc. shows thatwhile today's consumers overwhelmingly prefer to access the Internet on their mobile devices, only 30% use retailer applications to purchase products.In fact, 60% of consumers have two or fewer retailer apps on their phones, and 21% have none.

"Retailers' mobile strategies needs to encompass more than just their app and website—they must also reach extended mobile audiences engaged in the shopping or browsing process," said Michael Jones, senior vice president, retailer and brand solutions, RetailMeNot, Inc. "I believe that this study conducted by Forrester Consulting clearly shows that retailers who involve partners like RetailMeNot, that already own and can share consumers' mobile moments, are on a pathway towards success."

Get the full study by clicking here.

"This new Forrester study focuses on mobile as the most important touch point for retailers to win, serve and retain customers," added Jones. "Whether consumers are shopping in-store, online or while time shifting on their smart phone or tablet device, retailers' mobile experiences must meet consumer expectations."

Some more key data:

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  84% of consumers surveyed use their smartphones while shopping in-store.


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  Internet usage at home in the living room and common areas is now predominately done utilizing a smartphone (83%), surpassing PC/laptop usage (53%) and tablet usage (54%).


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  65% of consumers use their smartphones to find coupons online.


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  More than half (55%) of consumers surveyed say they use a smartphone to find a coupon while shopping in-store, and an equal number use their smartphone to redeem a coupon while in-store.


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  The study found that in 2015, 49% of digital coupons discovered on smartphones are ultimately used in-store to make a purchase, a 22% increase from 2014.


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  Of the U.S. consumers surveyed who have used a mobile phone in the last 3 months to perform a retail-related activity, 60% have two or fewer retailer apps on their phones, and 21% do not have any.


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  Over half of respondents (56%) use retailer apps once a month or less.

In fact, the study revealed that consumers more frequently choose to use a mobile website to perform the majority of their shopping-related activities, such as purchasing a product, finding a coupon or coupon code or comparing prices with other websites or stores.