Smartphones Ease Holiday Shopping

It’s November. The highlight of the year if you’re a retailer (or a bargain hunter). With Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday approaching, November kick-starts the annual holiday shopping. But where will holiday shoppers spend their money? In-store or online?

According to a Survey by Facebook 70% of shoppers worldwide are planning to buy their gifts in-store. However, it’s interesting to see how this number is considerably lower in the Asian countries that are at the forefront of technology, such as India (53%) and Japan (61%).

Another interesting fact is the once distinct but now blurred line between in-store and online shopping. We mix in-store and online shopping to get the best of each and to save time. Christmas may be all about spending time with family and friends but it’s also the most stressful season of the year. Hence, forty percent of the people surveyed say that “their mobile phone will help them get things done during the spare moments of the holiday season”. We use smartphones to organize our shopping including planning and mapping our trip to the store and 44% of those who use the phone to do more research during the holiday season say it’s the best way to find nearby stores offering great products and deals.

Last year 49% of shoppers used their phone while shopping in-store. The main reason for doing do is to compare prices (68%) but comparing products (51%), reading reviews (40%), and looking for coupons and discounts (39%) is also in the top five.

The benefit of shopping in-store with a mobile device glued to your hand is that you get to see, touch, and try out thing while searching for the best price. The downside of in-store shopping is the long lines and the crowd. That’s why click and collect and apps to scan and pay for products are so popular among shoppers. However, if don’t want to invest in an expensive self scanning app and prefer to have your employees helping shoppers in your store over packing click and collect orders, an indoor navigation solution may be right for your.

Indoor navigation can be integrated into your existing app, so when people search for products online and your store shows up, they’ll get the direct route from where they are to the product on your shelf. They can even choose if the want to go by foot, bike, car, or any public transportation. When in-store (or nearby) you can send them coupons, discounts, or even personalized offers if your know their preferences from previous visits or a members club. As we said, the line between in-store and online shopping is blurring. By offering holiday shoppers indoor navigation you meet their demand for omni channel shopping and allow them to plan, research, and save time while still getting the holiday experience of Christmas decorated shops.