Mobile impacts nearly half of total US retail sales, according to NRF study

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Feb 1, 2017

Several companies have jumped into the mobile shopping realm in recent years. Nike, Under Armour and other sportswear brands launched apps for performance and shopping, e-commerce websites like Stadium Goods have landing pages optimized for mobile and complimentary apps, and companies such as Revel and Yeay launched exclusively on mobile devices.

 
Retailers are vying for customers’ attentions according to a new report from the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org division and Forrester named, The State of Retailing Online 2017: Key Metrics, Business Objectives and Mobile. Forrester forecasted that direct online sales in 2016 totaled 11.6% of total US retail sales ($394 billion), and digital touchpoints impacted 49% of total US retail sales.
 
The mobile landscape is expected to become more competitive. 54% of retailers note that mobile is one of their top 3 initiatives in 2017 followed by marketing at 46%, site merchandising at 42% and omnichannel efforts at 22%. Smartphones made up 30% of online sales and 47% of online traffic, and smartphone sales were up an average 65% year-over-year.

In addition 45% of retailers surveyed said that mobile initiatives “transformed their overall digital customer experience,” according to the press release, and customer service topped their list of initiatives for next year.
 
“Today’s customers are empowered with information and technology,” Forrester Vice President and Research Director Fiona Swerdlow said. “To grow, retailers know they have to operate with a customer-obsessed mindset to deliver the experiences that consumers now expect at every touchpoint. It’s about having all aspects of the business — stores, mobile, merchandising, customer service, fulfillment and more — work together to deliver total value to your customers wherever they are, at any time.”