Holiday Trends Report – Mobile Apps

Cashing in on Mobile Merriment

Most consumers own smartphones, and the majority of smartphone owners are using them as shopping tools, according to new data from CFI Group's Holiday Trends Report. While the smartphone has become nearly ubiquitous, (87% of 18-to-34 year-olds own one), there's no such unanimity in terms of the applications consumers are leveraging on them. Price checks, product reviews, showrooming, and social media garner large portions of smartphone-enabled consumers' time, with considerable variance displayed only on the extreme ends of the demographic spectrum.

Just as consumers have been "tooling up" on shopping technology, so have retailers. In advance of the 2013 fourth-quarter holiday rush, merchants of all stripes and sizes have raced to equip associates with technology—specifically mobile technology—to enable better access to the information needed to assist customers. The Holiday Trends Report from CFI Group provides an interesting perspective on the crossroads of mobility in retail; where its value shines in the hands of associates, how smartphones are changing the consumer's path to purchase, and how they collectively impact retailers' mobile and cross-channel strategies.

Here are four strategies for maximizing mobility this holiday season and beyond, based on data gleaned from the 2013 Holiday Trends Report from CFI Group.

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