Marketing Pilgrim's "Shopping" Channel

Sponsor Marketing Pilgrim's Shopping Channel today! Get in front of some of the most influential readers in the Internet and social media marketing industry. Contact us today!
by
0 Comments

Warning: Using a Mobile Phone While Shopping Leads to Unplanned Purchases

posted on February 26, 2013

ipsos reason cloudA new IAB study offers more proof that offline retailers needn’t fear the mobile shopper. Sure, they may be using their phone to see if they can find a better price online, but one third of those showroomers made an in-store purchase anyway.

The new report, which was compiled by IpsosMediaCT, doesn’t deny the fact that mobile encourages online shopping, it does reveal a few bright spots for offline retailers.

First off, let’s be clear about the numbers. Only 31% of consumers use a mobile device while shopping in a store. I say “only” because that means that the majority of consumers who walk through your door are going to follow traditional shopping behaviors.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore the wants and needs of the mobile shopper, but it’s good to have perspective.

by
2 Comments

Here Comes the Social Networking Bride

posted on February 8, 2013

davids bridal appA woman’s wedding is a very special event that, with a little luck, only happens once in a lifetime. So, it’s not surprising that she’d want to share every second of that special day with her extended family and friends. What is surprising is that one-third of all the brides in a recent survey planned to log on to social media while they were on their honeymoon as well. The possibilities for oversharing are enormous and frightening.

David’s Bridal asked 1,262 Canadian brides about their social media plans leading up to and after their wedding and the answers were enlightening.

Almost half of the couples surveyed have dedicated online wedding sites or online registries. A whopping 62% of newly-engaged ladies looked to social media for wedding ideas, 43% used Facebook to source vendors, 35% downloaded wedding planner apps and 24% planned to use an online program to monitors RSVPs.

by
2 Comments

About Report Details the Evolution of the Purchase Funnel

posted on February 5, 2013

220px-Purchase-funnel-diagram.svgElias St. Elmo Lewis mapped out the route that potential customers take prior to purchasing a product. It’s referred to as the Purchase Funnel because it’s depicted as an inverted triangle funneling folks down to the moment they pull out their wallet. There are four steps in the process:

  • Awareness – the customer is aware of the existence of a product or service
  • Interest – actively expressing an interest in a product group
  • Desire – aspiring to a particular brand or product
  • Action – taking the next step towards purchasing the chosen product

Mr. St. Elmo Lewis came up with this idea in 1898, slightly before the invention of the internet.

Since then, things have changed a little and that’s the subject of About.com’s latest report which they call “The Purchase Loop.”

by
0 Comments

Mobile Users Expected to Redeem 10 Billion Coupons This Year

posted on February 1, 2013

vons coupon appFor years, I’ve subscribed to the Sunday LA Times and the Orange County Register just to get the coupons. Thanks to these glossy bits of goodness, I save around $30 a week on my grocery bill which far outweighs the cost of the paper. But this past Monday, I noticed something. I didn’t cut the coupons on Sunday and I didn’t cut them out the week before either.  And you know what? I might cancel the paper altogether because now, I get all the coupons I need online and on my mobile phone.

A few weeks ago, I downloaded the new Vons grocery store app that lets you see which digital coupons are on your card and add new ones on the fly. It has completely changed the way I grocery shop.

by
2 Comments

Multiple Balances, One Gift Card: Facebook Introduces a New Piece of Plastic

posted on January 31, 2013

facebook gift cardAll hail the guy who invented the gift card. These nifty bits of plastic allow you to buy what you want with someone else’s money. It doesn’t get better than that.

The only downside to gift cards is that you have to carry them in your wallet, remember to use them and mentally keep track of how much is left on each one. Facebook has a solution – sort of.

Introducing the Facebook Card, which isn’t what you think it is when you hear the name.

The Facebook Card is a gift card that has nothing to do with Facebook except that you buy it through the site. Here’s how it works:

by
2 Comments

Experts Predict 14 Billion Dollar Increase in Mobile Commerce in 2013

posted on January 21, 2013

sephora to goMobile has been very, very good to beauty product retailer Sephora. Speaking at Mobile Marketer’s Mobile FirstLook: Strategy 2013 conference, exec Johnna Marcus noted that the company saw a 167% increase in mobile orders last year, a 75% rise in mobile traffic and more than 50% of their email opens are now coming in from mobile devices.

Their goal is to develop mobile as a consumer’s personal shopper delivering reviews, keeping track of preferred brands and highlighting hot, new items on an on-going basis. They’re also highly invested in the concept of a mobile wallet that integrates with the Sephora gift card. And see that scan button in the upper corner of the app? That allows consumers to scan barcodes on in-store packages or items in their girlfriend’s purse in order to instantly see reviews and buying options. It’s a make-up lovers dream.

by
5 Comments

More Consumers Are Researching Online and Buying In-Store

posted on January 15, 2013

Showrooming, the act of researching a product in a store then buying it online, has been a concern for many retailers. It’s not a new concept, but mobile made it a rising trend in 2011. With smartphone in hand, a consumer can test drive the HD TVs, check the reviews online, locate the best price and make the purchase from a different retailer while they’re still standing in the store.

They can – but is that what shoppers are doing?

The Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group surveyed 1,000 US consumers to find out how technology is impacting their shopping behaviors. They published the results in a study called “Catch and Keep Digital Shoppers” and they even made a nifty infographic for us to share.

Here’s the section that caught my eye: