Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/74664
THE COMMON AREA GLOBAL RETAILERS EYE VIRGIN MARKETS, MACY'S NURTURES EXECUTIVES, SAKS AND TARGET MIX IT UP Smartphones boost store sales, survey says Smartphones actually help increase sales at brick-and-mortar stores, according to a Deloitte survey of nearly 1,600 smartphone owners. "Consumers' store-related mobile activities are contributing to — not taking away from — in-store sales, and our research indicates that smartphone shoppers are 14 per- cent more likely to convert and make a purchase in the store than non-smartphone users," said Alison Paul, vice chairman of Deloitte and the firm's retail-and- distribution sector leader, in a prepared statement. Nearly half the users sur- veyed said their phones have influenced their decision to pur- chase an item in a store. Smart- phone use tends to be highest at or near the point of purchase, according to Deloitte. The survey showed that 61 percent of phone owners who use the device to shop have done so while shopping at the store, and 52 percent reach for their phones on the way to the store. Smartphones influence about 5 percent of annual store sales, translating to about $159 billion forecast for 2012, says Deloitte. The firm also says that, based on smartphone use, mobile's influence is likely to grow to 19 percent of total store sales by 2016, amounting to some $689 billion in mobile-influenced sales. By comparison, direct mobile commerce sales will pass the $30 billion mark by that time, according to industry estimates. ICSC video contest touts brick-and-mortar shopping Broken Arrow (Okla.) Economic Development is winner of the ICSC "Why I Love Bricks & Mortar" video contest, with an entry that spotlights the hurdles facing online shoppers. This contest, ICSC's first, was created to help remind con- sumers about the advantages of shopping at a physical store rather than online. To be sure, Broken Arrow gains much from this expo- sure. "We're pleased to win and excited so many decision makers will know about Broken Arrow, thanks to ICSC's excellent promotion of our video," said Wes Smithwick, the firm's president and CEO. "We agree with ICSC that bricks-and-mortar is incredibly important for any economy, and we especially love our Main Street merchants, who we featured in this video." The video compares two people shopping for the same items, one of them shopping online and the other in a store. The former is seen dealing with shipping and the issues of sizing and product quality; the lat- ter is able to simply select, pay and go. "Bricks and Americans are spending less time shopping, report says The amount of time U.S. consumers spent buying goods and services has been declining since 2006, according to the Labor Department's 2011 American Time Use Survey. On average, the time spent on all types of shopping slipped to 43.2 minutes per day last year, from 45 minutes a year ago, according to the survey. Moreover, nongrocery shopping time has been decreasing — from 18.6 minutes in 2004 to 15.6 minutes last year. "Pos- sibly, the rise of e-commerce has made for a more efficient shopping experience," said Michael P. Niemira, ICSC's chief economist and head of research. mortar, the smart way to go shopping," says the tagline. The contest was open to any ICSC member. The videos had to be three minutes in length. As winner, Broken Arrow received an iPad, Apple TV and some other prizes. Matthew Abnet, of Oklahoma City; Linear Retail, of Burlington, Mass.; and Forest City, of Cleveland, all won honor- able mention. AUGUST 2012 / SCT 7