Is there a disconnect between the technology that retailers are looking to deploy inside their stores and the likelihood that it will be used by their customers? It is a known fact that most retailers are far behind the curve when it comes to mobile  - it is often their customers that are more savvy and more advanced when it comes to the devices they carry - but is that about to change? Apple's iBeacon technology and NFC may be reshaping the retail landscape but are consumers interested in being watched, prodded and pushed this way? Are WE as consumers ready for this? A recent study by Retale paints the current picture and we highlight some of the key findings here.

What do shoppers want when it comes to a mobile shopping experience? How about simply speeding the process up? A new study by Insights Now and Catalina (that can be found here) shows us what really matters when it comes to the mobile savvy shopper. I think we can all relate to speeding up the shopping process (and not just replacing an existing cumbersome process with another) but the real insight is what the consumers DON'T want an app to do...which seems to be EXACTLY what most retailer apps focus on...

Push notifications are powerful. Most of the effort in mobile apps has been in the creation and marketing - getting someone to download your hard work and launch it once. The problem, as we all know, is that launching it once is only the start of the long journey from casual user to customer. If 90% of apps aren't launched more that 3 times, there is a problem. It could be the app is not thought through or doesn't meet expectations or it could be that people forget they downloaded it. So many apps, so little time.

 

That's where push notifications can help - with the right message at the right time. This quick episode looks at what some of the biggest brands in retail are (or aren't) doing with push notifications. The data is from 2 years of research done by OtherLevels. The entire survey can be found here.

This Tradedoubler mobile commerce study looks at how 4500 consumers in 9 European countries have incorporated smartphones and tablets into their purchasing behaviours. There shouldn't be any surprise with these results - should there be? The outcome is along the same lines as North America including almost 50% of the respondents using their smartphones or tablets for shopping every week and almost 1/3 do it every day. The study also revealed that consumers do it everywhere including in bars, at work, commuting and out shopping.

 

One thing is for sure, this is a global migration to mobile devices for shopping. The entire whitepaper can be found here.

 

We trust banks with everything that has to do with our money, our homes and our retirement. This trust is handed down, generation after generation and, with few exceptions (even a global meltdown), banks are trusted more than retailers and technology companies. Should banks leverage that trust into other consumer-focused businesses or should they just do what they've been doing and leave the commerce to someone else?

What does an affordable tablet or smartphone mean for the population of emerging economies? Two companies - one in Canada and the other in China are about to find out. Chuck highlights their plans and the impact the low-cost tablets from Datawind and smartphones from MMB will have on mobile commerce.

Money moving through mobile is on the rise - and by rise, I mean growing at 40% year over year. This is based on a recent study by Juniper Research that focused on the impact of mobile on money transfers. The global study dives into the major trends around how money is being moved through mobile and why.

Do banks hold the key to mobile commerce adoption? We trust them with our money, we finance our cars and homes with them, we carry their branded credit cards and we use their mobile apps with stunning regularity. In short, we are committed to them and, like it or not, there is enough brand loyalty that we rarely change banks. BUT, should they open marketplaces inside their apps and sell products other than their own?

A comprehensive study by PWC looks at the reasons consumers aren't using their smartphones to shop. The results have as much to do with the technology impediments as with consumer behaviours that require a shift in mindset. That aside, you may be surprised with the single largest impediment to mobile commerce...watch to find out what that is.

With all the hoopla these days around mobile payments it would make sense if there was actual demand from consumers. The reality is, based on two substantial global studies, that consumers aren't yet interested in paying from their mobile phones. The highlights from the Apigee and Bain & Company studies aren't shocking but they demonstrate the gulf between what is being built and what is being used in the mobile payments arms race.