The Role Of Mobile Apps In The Retail Sector

By Author: Yancy Marry
Total Articles: 185
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The deployment of mobile apps is part of the IT strategy of every enterprise, irrespective of type and size. Mobile apps have not only brought about innovation in the products and services of companies worldwide, they are also considered as tools providing value for money. Both employees and unemployed individuals today use smartphones and tablets in order to be able to utilize the benefits of mobile applications. Among the category of apps most popular with the masses, those aiding mobile shopping and other retail activities feature at the top of the list. A recently concluded research shows that revenues collected from conducting retail activities with mobile apps rose from $369 million in the year 2008 to $1.2 billion in 2009 within the span of just one year. The current revenue generation from retail app usage stands at $2.4 billion in the US alone.

Listed below are some features that retail mobile applications provide to stores and users:

1. Easy Payment Process – The process of paying for any product or service that a user purchases from a retail store has become easier with the introduction of mobile ...
... apps. A complimentary mobile in store payment category is present in every retail app; this option is accessible in spite of a user not being very technically sound.

2. Comparison of Prices – Retail mobile apps list the prices of all services and products sold by a store. A customer can check the same and know before visiting the store which item he/she can afford to purchase. Similarly, customers can also compare the prices of similar products sold by another retail store; this helps to attract potential shoppers while also retaining the existing ones.

3. Special Customer Advisory Services – Retail apps often have a customer service or expert advice wing. By accessing this feature, buyers can get help in knowing about the products and services offered and choosing the preferred one among them.

4. Product Review Section – Retail apps are facilitated with product reviewing and product recommendation features. A potential customer gets a fair idea about what is favorable and not so favorable about a retail store’s services from its app. Though this may influence the choice of a user in a negative way, it also helps to increase traffic to the online shopping site of the retail store as previously unacquainted customers visit the site to know about existing customer base’s views.

5. Promotion and Discount Offers – Any offer related to promotions, special discounts, sale previews, or offer of special coupons to selected customers now reaches the mobile devices of the buyers. He/she can view it just at the click of a button. This is the reason why retail stores now spend high amounts behind mobile advertising.

Brand or image building has become easier with the advent of mobile applications in the retail sector. Since customers receive updates of the store’s products and offers on their devices every single time, they become familiar with the store’s logo. A research concluded towards the beginning of 2012 says that most shoppers (more than 85 percent) today conduct online transactions of their favorite services and products as opposed to in store purchases. This has led to retail stores monitoring their prices; generally the online price of a product is lower than it’s in store price. Retail mobile applications thus benefit both the buyer and

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