Shop Online Mobile Search Volumes Grow
Published: 18 July 2011 By MoneyHighStreet Staff Leave a Comment
As we look to shop online, mobile search volumes helped raise total retail search volumes in the second quarter of 2011 by 27% compared with the same quarter last year.
According to the BRC-Google Online Retail Sales Monitor, there was actually a 216% year-on-year increase in mobile search volumes.
With many of us looking to shop online, the growth of retail search volumes for multi-channel retailers (usually those using stores and the internet) reached 14% in the second quarter of 2011 compared with 21% for pure online retailers.
The number of overseas consumers searching for UK retailers grew by 34% in the period and the number of UK consumers searching for overseas retailers grew by 76%.
London comprised 36% of all retail search volumes in the UK.
Stephen Robertson, Director General, British Retail Consortium, said: “While the retail sector as a whole is going through a difficult period, the boom in online retail continues.”
And he added “Retailers are making m-commerce easier all the time by offering mobile optimised websites, apps and transactional mobile platforms.
“There’s clear evidence of how the changing seasons affect what people search for online. Garden furniture and DIY are high on the list of top 10 retail searches. Searches for electricals – such as the iPad2 and kindle – are also common, probably as shoppers compare prices and look for deals.”
Peter Fitzgerald, Retail Director, Google, commented: “In Consumer Electronics, new devices were all the rage. Searches for the iPad 2 which launched in March were among the highest in Q2, as were searches for the iPhone 5 which is set to launch in September of this year.
Top Apparel searches in Q2 included wedding dresses as we entered the wedding season in the UK, while garden furniture featured among the top searches in the Home category.”
MoneyHighStreet comments: “With many of us permanently attached to our smartphone, whether it to be to send an email, check on Facebook or for some retail therapy, it’s no wonder there’s such a stark increase in mobile search volumes.
Do be aware though if you are going to be mobile, perhaps on holiday, and intend to use your smartphone or laptop to access the internet that ideally you need to check in advance what options you will have available – for example is there WiFi in your hotel or do you need a dongle for your laptop?
What about the network plan you have for your smartphone, how much will it cost you to use data access to the internet if you are in Europe for example, do you know? Don’t get a nasty shock when you come home!
