The growth of mobile technology has been noticed by beauty brands, which see the value of smartphones and tablets as research tools and m-commerce vehicles, however digital experts say there is still work to be done to optimize the platform.
Mobile devices have seen strong growth with new innovations every few months all trying to better the last and the ubiquity of this technology means that the consumer goods and retail industries have had to take note to keep on top.
“With an increasing number of consumers now using their mobile devices to browse and compare products while in-store, it is no surprise that mobile has become an integral part of retailers' multichannel strategies," says chief information officer at IMRG, Tina Spooner.
Spooner reveals the research to have found the mobile to play a key part in the multichannel retail environment, with three quarters of high street/multichannel retailers now having a mobile-optimised website.
The survey involved 50 senior e-commerce professionals (heads of e-commerce, CEOs, managing directors and marketing directors) about a sales growth forecast, plans for international expansion, international delivery, 'Click & Collect', mobile commerce and customer retention strategies.
While almost all merchants surveyed said they expected to see positive year on year sales growth, a significant proportion (42%) forecast sales growth to reach in excess of 20%.
The rise of 'Click & Collect'
Two thirds (67%) of multichannel retailers have been found to now offer Click & Collect, up from 54% in October 2013. This figure is up by 4% from when the last e-Retail survey was conducted, highlighting the growing importance of the mobile channel for UK e-retailers.
"The convenience of Click & Collect and certainty of not missing deliveries encourages customers to opt for this method, enhancing the overall customer experience," Spooner explains.
"Our results also reveal an increasing optimism among retailers around their expectations of online sales growth during 2014. While almost all merchants surveyed said they expect to see positive year-on-year sales growth, a significant proportion (42%) forecast sales growth to reach in excess of 20%," she adds.