Survey Suggests Use of Mobility to Spur Retail Consumer Experience

As consumers increasingly rely on smartphones for more than just phone calls and e-mail, there is a growing interest in mobile technologies that allow users to have a more informed shopping experience, according to a recent Honeywell survey. The findings indicate an urgent need for retailers to integrate mobile technologies that enhance the shopping experience to meet this potentially significant growth in demand.

The “Mobile Point-of-Sale Survey,” commissioned by Honeywell and conducted online by Harris Interactive in December 2011 among 2,525 U.S. adults, showed that a majority of consumers (82 percent) are already using or are at least somewhat likely within the next year to use their smartphone’s mobile browser for price comparisons or product reviews to ensure they’re getting the product best suited for their individual needs. Further, 67 percent of those polled are already using or are at least somewhat likely within the next year to redeem mobile coupons, which appears to be on the rise when compared to the only 22 percent in 2010 who indicated that they would use coupons delivered to their mobile phone. Fifty six percent of consumers surveyed have used or are very likely within the next year to use their smartphone to scan items while shopping to be purchased at checkout payment stations instead of a traditional checkout lane to streamline their checkout experience.

“Our findings suggest that with a growing consumer interest in using mobile devices to better inform and expedite their shopping experience, retailers are in a prime position to enhance the overall consumer experience in their stores, including at the point-of-sale,” said John Waldron, vice president of worldwide marketing, Honeywell Scanning & Mobility. “Honeywell’s expanding portfolio of scanning and mobile devices is uniquely designed to help retailers achieve differentiation, stay ahead of the curve, improve the customer experience, and ultimately improve profitability.”

Other findings of the survey indicated that although available, Near Field Communications (NFC) used in payment and couponing transactions are not as compelling to consumers as other mobile shopping applications. Of the only seven percent of consumers that knew they had NFC-enabled smartphones, only 39 percent have used it for payment, the majority of whom (68 percent), citing that they have concerns about the security of their credit card information.

“Consumers are sensitive to mobile technologies that potentially put their personal information, such as credit card numbers, at risk,” added Waldron. “Retailers need to consider options that complement NFC transactions, such as bar-code enabled payment and mobile couponing, which are familiar and more tangible to consumers.”