Eight seven per cent of retailers believe mobile commerce will impact shopping in the next two years, but just 16 per cent have a strategy in place. That’s according to research, conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of Kony.

Forty two per cent of retailers believe mobile commerce is already affecting shopping behaviour at physical retail locations, while 89 per cent believe it will be as popular as e-commerce. Despite this, less than one in five surveyed reported having a mobile strategy fully in place, and almost a third have no plans to implement one at all.

“The aim of this study was to assess the preparedness of UK retailers for mobile in relation to consumer expectations and demands,” says David Eads, head of product marketing at Kony. “The results show a significant discrepancy between retailers’ anticipations of the impact of mobile and the strategies that they currently have in place to facilitate this demand. It is clear that mobile is already affecting shopping habits and has the potential to overtake e-commerce in the next few years. ”

The survey also explored the development of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, consumer attitudes towards mobile payments, and how retailers plan to implement the technology within their stores. Fifty seven per cent of retailers surveyed are considering the technology as part of their overall mobile strategy, citing competitive pressures and customer demand as key drivers for this decision. A quarter of consumers already want to use their mobiles to pay for items in-store as opposed to using cards or cash despite the low awareness of the technology among consumers.

Consumers cite convenience (59 per cent) as the reason for using mobile payments. Security concerns (39 per cent) remain a key reason why consumers say they don’t want to pay with mobile, suggesting a real opportunity for retailers to significantly increase interest in mobile payments by addressing these concerns and this lack of education since NFC provides significant security advantages.

The full survey results can be found at: http://www.johnsonking.com/library/Kony_Research_13_April_2011_.pdf

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