Following the record-breaking £810m spent
online on Black Friday, the combined £1.3bn online sales predicted for
Christmas and Boxing Day show that retailers who are lacking a comprehensive
mobile strategy will miss the bulk of seasonal sales altogether, says Dan
Wagner, founder and CEO of Powa Technologies.
It is predicted that online sales will reach
more than £636m on Christmas Day, and £748m on Boxing Day, with a peak of £519k
being spent per minute across 167m retail sites on the second day. This highlights
the importance of smartphones and tablets in driving the trend, with many
consumers likely to receive new mobile devices for Christmas and then
immediately use them to browse retailers.
Dan
Wagner, eCommerce veteran and CEO of Powa Technologies, comments: “This has
already been a truly watershed year for mobile commerce and the vast amount of
sales expected to take place online over Christmas and Boxing Day will truly
cement 2014 as a turning point in retail.
“Between
this and the phenomenal level of online sales seen from Black Friday right
through the season, orchestrated discounts have clearly succeeded in
attracting shoppers online, but providing an enjoyable shopping
experience will prove to be equally important. Shoppers now see hunting
for bargains on online and mobile sites as a fast, fun activity to dip into
anytime, and retailers must be equipped to make the entire process as easy as
possible”.
Speed
and ease have become primary factors in physical retail as well, with a
year-round trend for shoppers to fit their purchases into shorter time periods
around their busy lives. High street retailers are braced for heavy traffic in
the “golden hour” between 1 pm and 2 pm today as many consumers make a
last-minute dash to purchase Christmas gifts.
Dan
adds: “Avoiding crowds and long lines at the tills is a major factor in the
growth of online sales, and the traditional checkout system can turn the retail
experience into an incredibly tedious one. Retailers must explore ways to
combine their bricks-and-mortar and mobile strategies to bring the same level
of ease and flexibility to their stores, regardless of how busy they are”.
PowaTag gives shoppers the power to complete
purchases using an array of triggers, including scanning print material,
Bluetooth beacons, audio tags and social media. Consumers can buy a product
straight from any form of advertising or with a tap of a smartphone. Sales are
finalised in just three seconds using pre-entered payment and address
information. The platform also allows for instant sales through sites on both
mobile and desktop, avoiding the need to fill out lengthy forms.
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