Hey Siri:  “Go buy an xmas gift for my mother-in-law”.    Ok,  I’m dreaming that my smart phone can actually do my shopping for me, but the future is not far off.  One way I can get a jump start on my xmas list is through the use of Google metrics.   Google is like Santa… if you ask, it will deliver

As Christmas quickly approaches, shoppers are out in full force – but they’re “out” in a different way. Not too long ago, holiday gift-getters were racing to shopping malls, toy stores, and electronic suppliers. But not so much these days – now they’re booting up their PC’s, mobile devices, and tablets.  Consumers are turning to the Internet and technology, now more than ever, to get their shopping done. And the rate at which consumers are relying on their different tech devices isn’t slowing down – it’s rapidly growing.

If you’re gearing up for another crazy holiday season, consider these important metrics from Google when marketing your products and services on the web.

37% of consumers say the Internet will influence the brands they buy.

The economy is down and consumers don’t have a lot of discretionary spending to put towards Christmas gifts. So keep in mind that buyers are being cautious about which brands they will buy.  They are spending more time researching and comparing brands than in past years. In other words, consumers are more careful about how they are spending their money. Marketing a trustworthy brand with competitive prices will be very important to your holiday sales.  Online will heavily impact type of gift, brand and retailer of choice.

4 in 5 mobile/tablet owners will use their devices to aid in holiday shopping.

If you’re not marketing your products and services on mobile devices by now, what are you waiting for? Roughly 80% of mobile/tablet users will use their devices to shop for holiday gifts this year and that same percentage will use multiple devices simultaneously to help with shopping! Plus, digital users are open to influence… 57% of holiday shoppers don’t have specific products or brand in mind when they begin their holiday shopping. To make the sales process easier for shoppers, build out a mobile-friendly website and make sure you have mobile-specific Awords campaigns.  People shop differently on their phones than they do when sitting behind a computer screen. The searches are shorter and more specific – and they tend to stay at the top of the page and not scroll down.

Lines between offline and online shopping experiences are blurring.

The Internet is crucial to holiday sales both online and offline.  Staggeringly, 32% of consumers will research a product online, visit the store to view the product in person, then return online to make the final purchase.  So even though many retailers are seeing a decline in foot traffic, they are seeing an increase in sales year over year. Having a professional, user-friendly web presence will aid tremendously in your sales.

92% are checking online for best prices.  

The Internet continues to pick up steam while traditional shopping resources are on the decline.  So when youre advertising your website this holiday season, make sure your brand is being represented well, you have full coverage on mobile, tablet and computer devices, and be aware of the importance between online and offline sales.

References:

Analytics.blogspot.ca/2014/10/online-retailers-secret-to-seasonal.html

www.salesandorders.com/tips-google-shopping-top-holiday-tips-retailers/

blog.kissmetrics.com/prep-for-the-holidays/

www.slideshare.net/timothymclain/google-holiday-trends-for-2014?related=1

www.slideshare.net/Bloovi/2012-holiday-consumerintentions

In 2003, on the back of a napkin, I sketched out an in-store marketing initiative that would allow big brands to target customers  one-on-one.  I envisioned using home security technology and a laser grid to divvy up a retail store into ‘sections’  or aisles.  Depending where you were in the store, I could show targeted advertising on customized shopping cart screens.  So if you were in the toothpaste aisle, you would receive  advertising and coupons from a company that promotes dental hygiene products.   I imagined Coke and Pepsi would line up and pay big bucks for the right to advertise in the beverage aisle on my shopping cart screens 😉  Now, after 10 years, I’m finally taking my MBA to pursue working on a retail in-store marketing system.  But times have changed.

        Fast Forward to 2013.  We now have e-coupons, QR Codes, GPS, wireless networks, Bluetooth technology   and most importantly,  in-store apps that are linked to store customer reward programs.

With all the new technologies and cutting edge initiatives of the point of purchase industry, there is a race towards captivating the in-store mobile consumer.

Here is a great article about the the emergence of smartphone shoppers and how they use their phones while in a physical store.  It seeks to uncover the role and opportunities for mobile in the shopping experience.  smartphone shoppers use their phones while in a physical store

With a consumer marketing and branding background,  I am interested in research about the consumer retail industry. In particular, the consumer behavior towards in-store Point-of-Sale (POS) marketing.  How much influence on purchase behaviour can be attributed toward POS marketing?  What new technologies are available to help brands promote their products at the time of purchase?   What is the % of adspend that companies spend on POS vs other media?

I am in the early stages of putting a business plan together for launching an in-store mobile marketing solution that enables real-time targeting of shoppers – while they shop!

Current Trends: 

Companies are developing real-time, mobile engagement in-store while tracking consumers’ shopping behavior and locations.  ‘Shopper Marketing’ brings together the physical and the digital to enable the communication of contextually relevant offers. Allows retailers to engage consumers with targeted offers and coupons as they shop. It relies on free in-store wi-fi into which shoppers are encouraged to log-in. (BizReport:  Mobile Marketing, March 12,2013)

Location-based mobile coupons are temping consumers into stores, according to recent research by the US’s largest digital coupon website, particularly when those consumers are in the vicinity.

A recent survey shows that 80% of consumers  are using their smart phones while in-store.  The days of writing a grocery list on a piece of paper have been replaced with mobile ‘to-do’ aps and digital notepads.  Marketing companies are leveraging mobile technologies to engage these customers in real-time while at the same time helping  retailers, CPGs and brands increase sales and profits.  (Contributor Report:  Point Inside – revolutionizing in-store shopping with mobile marketing, Oct 08, 2012)

Key Findings:

Today, the number of U.S. smartphone users using mobile coupons is 29.5 million, a significant rise from 2010 when 7.4 million used mobile coupons. By 2014, this figure is expected to rise further to 47.1 million, according to a recent BI Intelligence report.

Mobile coupons are effective at driving consumers in-store. About half (51%) of respondents said they would be more likely to buy products in-store if they received a mobile coupon while in close proximity to the store. Younger mobile users (18-34) were more likely to do so (63%) than those age 35+ (43%).Furthermore, respondents indicated that if they were already in-store when they received a mobile coupon they would be 61% more likely to make a purchase. (BizReport:  Mobile Marketing, July 12,2013)

In summary, there is a huge growth potential in this market segment of the retail industry.  As more consumers  rely on their smart phone’s to ‘guide/help’ them with in-store purchases, the bigger the opportunity there is for brands to ‘target’ them (in real-time).  Retails, brands & consumers  can all benefit with seamless integration of technology and point-of-sale marketing.  I want to be a part of this in-store marketing revolution.