Research : “A fifth of eTailers fail to engage mobile customers” / Mastek

Mastek research reveals top online retailers fall short on mobile services

Reading, U.K. – 25^th June 2013 – Mastek, the global IT solutions provider for the retail sector, today announced the results of a research project analysing how the top 50 online retailers in the UK are using mobile as part of a multi-channel approach. The results show that more than a fifth (22 percent) of eTailers do not have a mobile optimised website or an application available for smartphone users, meaning that many are missing a valuable opportunity to capture mobile customers and incentivise them to shop.For further information, please visit: www.mastek.co.uk

Nearly one in three retailers (28 per cent) have more than one mobile application available to engage with customers and 20 per cent have developed loyalty apps that offer smartphone users special offers or link to incentive schemes. However, with the growing imperative in the retail industry for integrated multi-channel campaigns that take advantage of the growth in mobile customers, few eTailers are putting it into practice with their m-commerce strategies. Whilst 95 per cent of mobile websites are now transactional, a surprising 75 per cent of mobile applications are still not able to accept or process customer orders meaning retailers risk losing customers at the point of sale or reducing competitive advantage by being unable to satisfy immediate buying needs.

Mark Williams, director of retail at Mastek, comments on what the results reveal: “Mobile services are continuing to boom and provide a great opportunity for retailers to develop new growth strategies. However, the results show that many eTailers fall short on developing mobile commerce campaigns designed to grow revenues. The rise of smartphone customers and the development of an omniscient internet means that today’s constantly-connected consumers are using mobile devices at all points in the shopping lifecycle, cementing its status as one of the most disruptive technologies on the high street. With the quick-paced developments taking place in the mobile space including the rise of mobile payments and the take-up of near field communications, eTailers have to innovate and recognise that smartphones can be a valuable tool for capturing customer attention and boosting sales conversions.”

Mastek analysed the mobile offerings for the top 50 online retailers as identified by IMRG in February 2013.

About Mastek

Mastek is a publicly held (NSE: MASTEK; BSE: 523704) provider of enterprise-level technology services and software solutions for the public sector, financial services, retail and telecom industries.  With 19 offices in eight countries, the company currently operates across the UK and Europe, as well as the United States, Canada, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Mastek’s core IT services portfolio is comprised of application development, management and testing, IT consulting, systems integration, data warehousing, and business intelligence. The company also offers its own range of powerful enterprise-grade products and platforms for the healthcare, local government and financial services sectors.  For further information, please visit: www.mastek.co.uk