Are Native Apps the Missing Ingredient for Retail Brands?
Posted by Marcus LaRobardiere on Nov 2, 2017
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Its no secret that retail brands are struggling to find a recipe for success when it comes to omnichannel in our mobile-driven world. What is surprising is that despite the plethora of mobile apps peppered across most consumers’ mobile phones, not many of them are native shopping app.
In fact, only 22% of brands even offer a shoppable app. Want an even more head-scratching statistic? That’s zero change from the previous year, according to our 2017 Mobile Retail Report.
Investing in mobile technology, and omnichannel can be a big step for brands still working with legacy systems – if it’s not broken, why fix it. While many brands are thriving, it seems that every week we hear of a new retailer closing stores, going bankrupt, or shaking up executive leadership. So, why is it surprising that retailers don’t have shoppable mobile apps? Because that’s where consumers are, and if your brand isn’t the one a customer finds when they’re shopping on their phones, my guess is Amazon will be.
There is no debate between mobile web or native apps, brands need both. Offering a slick mobile web experience is important for attracting new customers, but a shoppable native app is proven to boost engagement, increase conversions and revenue, as well as drive customer retention.
Are native apps the missing ingredient for retail brands? I’d say, yes. At least a component of it. Consumers have increasingly high – and ever changing – expectations of retailers and the shopping experience itself, and native apps can provide that in the way of exclusive offers and content, personalized recommendations, and preferred payment methods.
If you’re in seeing how the retail industry is leveraging technology to support today’s mobile shopper, download the 2017 Mobile Retail Report here.
