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By: Stephanie Wonderlin

Whoever said that statistics are completely unimportant may have had some merit to his argument, but when it comes to in-store mobile marketing, his protestations should fall upon deaf ears. “In-store” advertising has gained immense momentum over the last few years because of its ability to turn interested parties into customers. Ever been interested in a product but declined purchasing it because of lack of information? Brands and retailers know millions of consumers have been in this situation and have acted accordingly…on to another store, another brand.

The Next Level Of Online Shopping

Those who suggest that this tactic is a waste of time will be interested to discover that an incredible 48% of consumers checked their mobile for information relating to a product they were interested in while still in the store in late 2010. This is up from the 27% figure recorded in November 2009. Essentially, a brand or retail store can empower customers to easily find information about a product while still in the store.

A host of statistics have come available in the last few months which will help companies successfully target customers. For example, a whopping 60% of 18-35 year-olds used their mobile device to view products in a store while (wow!) the number of over 55 year-olds that used this information grew by 89% since last year. 51% of men browse in store compared to 44% women (uh, who says men don’t ask for directions?). In total, 16% of customers use their mobile device to quickly compare the prices of competing stores, a figure that is all but guaranteed to increase.

The Importance Of Reviews

Now, I don’t need my Bazaarvoice friends to tell me it is in a company’s best interest to allow easy access to hordes of reviews, surely increasing sales. An increasing number of consumers are consulting their mobile phones for customer reviews and product feedback. Statistics show further that a consumer is two and a half times more likely to be swayed by a customer review they read on their mobile phone than any salesperson. Once news of this gets out, expect salespeople to quake in their boots at the thought of a mobile web page replacing them.

Indignant salespeople aside, in-store mobile marketing is a necessity for any business looking to increase their sales. An astonishing 68% of American moms use their smartphone when shopping. As moms make up a huge percentage of any store’s custom, each organization must pull out all the stops to make in-store browsing as accessible as possible.

The retail industry has changed remarkably quick. Smartphones and in-store mobile marketing seem set to replace pushy salespeople in the near future. Yet, I’m all about a human helping me pick the right color or shoe size…where will this start or end?

Photo: Flikr