Retailers under pressure to invest in m-commerce in 2012

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Retailers under pressure to invest in m-commerce in 2012.

Retailers are under increasing pressure to keep up market share by ensuring their webstores are configured to work properly on mobile devices, reveals CTS Retail. Following reports that Lakeland is the latest retailer to unveil its mobile optimised webstore, retail software + services provider CTS Retail has noticed that increasing number of retailers are enquiring about mobile capability as consumers continue to drive forward m-commerce as a critical sales channel.

Scott Storey, MD of CTS Retail, who delivered a workshop on 'optimised retailing' during the Retail Conference in 2011, believes that m-commerce capability is no longer a 'nice to have' but has now become an essential requirement for retailers wanting to maintain market share.
 
Storey, says: "The retail marketplace is still dangerously volatile and retailers are literally having to keep on their toes and adapt their strategy as the market dictates. Seeing Peacocks and Pumpkin Patch fall into administration last month is unfortunate proof that the market is no nearer to stabilising and as a result retailers really need to be exploring ways to engage with consumers and boost sales across a range of platforms."
 
Storey, also COO of EPOS Partners, recently mobilised the EPOS Partners webstore and believes that the biggest barrier for retailers is the fear of having to allocate substantial budget to upgrading their current e-commerce store.
 
"Every one of our customers is concerned about spending and that is totally understandable in the current climate. But business can't stand still either and so ultimately, spending nothing on developing the customer experience isn't really a viable option either!  Ultimately, retailers need to understand exactly what and how they are going to invest to get the best return on investment and strategies which boost engagement and make it easier to consumers to spend with them will always carry greater weighting when it comes to getting the green light to invest," explains Storey.