Through the years I have found myself going form store to store trying to find items in stock, find the best promotions, and find the best prices. I have begun to use mobile apps to help me with my shopping, it allows me to go online seeing different stores prices, availability as well as current promotions that they are having.
Shopping without instant access to different stores in the palm of your hand is a thing of the past due to the use of shopping through mobile devices. According to ForeSee the number of consumers that access retailer’s websites using a mobile phone has increases nine percent from last year during this time of year.
The use of social media sites such as Facebook, and Twitter (both apps on cell phones) can be used to alert consumers of upcoming sales and current promotions. This can be done by posting or sending out a tweet to all of your followers that notify them of the sale or promotion; they can click on it and use it right in store. I found and have been using a great app called Quick Scan. This app allows the user to scan the barcode of an item, and see what price other retailers are selling that item for. It also has a tab where you are able to view different coupons that store are offering.
Looking at ForeSee’s study, I can say that the average consumer is becoming more educated, and will continue to seek the best deals that they can find. Now what effects will this have on stores prices, sales, and promotions? I feel this mobile shopping craze is an opportunity for online marketing. The use of social media apps could play a huge impact in the deals consumers can find using their mobile devices. The simple click of a button will allow mobile users to log onto apps like Facebook and Twitter to see current online promotions as well as online coupons.
So why ever enter a store?
Though the tech-age is bringing us incredible software to battle the lines at stores, an expense towards jobs and storefronts might be adversely affected. While sales continue to climb, that friendly clerk at the counter might not be standing on a line of his own; the unemployment line.
