With the latest ONS research revealing that 96% of UK adults now go online via mobile device and 76% shop online, retailers without a comprehensive mobile commerce strategy risk extinction, according to Powa Technologies founder Dan Wagner.
Driven by smartphone penetration and access to 4G, mobile internet usage has increased exponentially in the last few years according to the ONS’s Internet Access- Households and Individuals 2015 report, published August 6.
96% now access the internet through a mobile phone, increasing from just 24% in 2010. At the same time, 76% of all adults in the UK made a purchase online in 2015, up from just 53% five years ago.
Powa Technologies founder and chief executive and ‘eCommerce veteran’ Dan Wagner commented: “The rapid increase in personal internet access has transformed many aspects of our lives, but perhaps none more so than how we browse and purchase goods and services. The vast majority of the population now shops online, with over 12% of all retail sales coming through eCommerce in June.
“The advent of the smartphone and access to reliable mobile internet has changed the landscape completely in the last five years. In today’s always-on, mobile-driven culture, it seems hard to believe that only 24% of people accessed the internet via mobile in 2010.
“The writing has been on the wall for many years now, but a surprising number of brands and retailers have still not adapted their strategies to match consumer demand. People have become accustomed to the ability to browse and buy on a whim, and time is running out quickly for those brands without a comprehensive mobile strategy.”
Powa Technologies created the PowaTag mobile commerce platform which is designed to allow customers to complete transactions in seconds with pre-stored information, using a variety of triggers, Dan explains. Users can scan printed tags on anything from products to displays and adverts, pick up audio tags in live and pre-recorded broadcasts, or simply tap to buy instantly online and through social media.
Dan added: “It is not enough to simply provide an online store – brands must seek out new ways to attract and engage their customers through mobile devices wherever they are, whether walking past a shop window, waiting for a bus, or browsing online at home. Mobile engagement also holds the key to uniting online and physical sales, creating a single seamless experience to match consumer expectations. As both mobile internet access and smartphone ownership reach saturation point, retailers have the opportunity to move the shopping experience beyond the rigid and outdated queuing and paying structure.”
