Adobe mobile shopping report reveals an opportunity for customer-centric experiences this holiday season
Mobile is definitively the way of the future, an Adobe mobile shopping report shows. New data indicates a slow but steady shift in consumer demand for shopping on smaller screens. In fact, mobile shopping is expected to drive 53% of online sales during the 2024 holiday shopping season, according to forecasting from Adobe’s most recent report. The report analyzes US ecommerce data from January to July of this year, covering over one trillion visits to US retail sites, 100 million SKUs, and 18 product categories.
The mobile shopping report shows that in the last seven months, 47.7% of transactions were on mobile devices, compared to 46.6% during the same period last year. This amounted to a record $280.4 billion spent through mobile devices, representing 10.2% growth YoY. This holiday shopping season Adobe forecasts that mobile will consistently overtake desktop and become the dominant channel by 2025, indicating a major shift in consumer behavior.
Growth opportunities for businesses both small and large
The mobile shopping report also indicates there are opportunities for smaller retailers to strategically surpass larger ones this season. Adobe found that larger retailers, with $1 billion or more in annual revenue, are seeing more success with mobile channels than their smaller counterparts, with $10 million to $100 million in annual revenue.
In the first seven months of 2024, larger retailers saw mobile transactions account for 52.8% of their monthly revenue. By contrast, smaller retailers saw mobile transactions account for just 43% of their monthly revenue. And the mobile revenue share gap typically widens between large and smaller retailers during the holiday season — but a strategic investment in mobile channels could put smaller retailers out in front.
Consumers want more customer-centric mobile experiences
Adobe’s shopping data indicates a shift to mobile as the dominant channel, aligning with consumers’ growing demand for improved experiences. While investing in a mobile strategy provides a great opportunity this holiday season, providing mobile experiences that are impersonal and irrelevant may result in a wasted opportunity.
According to consumer research conducted by Adobe in collaboration with Concentrix, consumers are increasingly turning off notifications, deleting mobile apps, or simply tuning out to cope with a surge of irrelevant mobile messages and notifications. In fact, the research shows that the number one reason consumers unsubscribe or turn off mobile notifications is the excessive number of messages they receive. The number two reason is that messages are not relevant or are repetitive. But investment in the right mobile experiences pays off. Adobe found that mobile communication connects with consumers 62% to 66% of the time, providing higher customer engagement opportunities.
“We need to reach customers where they spend their time with communications that reflect their specific style and interests. It’s not just about price. Shoppers need to feel that we’re listening and responding to them.”
Bennett Fox-Glassman, Senior Vice President of Customer Journey, Macy’s
To break through the noise this holiday season and deliver superior experiences, you must be customer-centric with personalized offers, timing, and channels. Here are three actions to ensure your mobile strategy succeeds this holiday season and beyond.
1. Be personalized and consistent, in real time
Today’s customer is shopping on the go. In fact, our consumer research shows 57% of those surveyed could not get through their day without their mobile phone. That means they can and are shopping anywhere, at any time. In addition, they expect personalized and consistent experiences in real time. However, our research revealed only one in four brands are equipped to adjust timing or cadence of customer communications based on real-time intelligence or actions. Creating personalized journeys that reach consumers at the right time, with the right message, on the right mobile channel, is a game changer. It’s a big opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded market. To deliver, you need a tool that allows you to personalize content with AI, and target customers based on real-time triggers, customer profiles, and geolocation.
2. Elevate shopping with concierge-like experience
Customers now expect a more tailored experience. Our consumer research showed they favor a brand that communicates on the channels they prefer, provides timely updates, and understands their preferences. This requires a tool that can deliver optimization models and next-best action decisioning on content, channels, audiences, and journeys. Having a centralized customer profile with automated customer journeys based on real-time behavior gets you closer to delivering an experience that feels like the customer's own personal concierge.
3. Capture loyalty with enhanced app quality
Most consumers prefer using an app on mobile because it’s convenient. In fact, 85% of consumers agree that their favorite brand has a useful smartphone app. Enhancing your in-app experience with real-time, personalized communications can capture more loyal customers. You can achieve that with a tool that delivers relevant in-app messages based on customer profile attributes, app usage history, and device location. As the holiday season heats up and seasonal discounts become the status quo, better app experiences could differentiate your business.
Explore our research with Concentrix, featuring insights from over 300 mobile users and 200 B2C marketers. Discover actionable recommendations to enhance your brand’s customer-centric experiences in the Reimagining Customer Journey Management report.
As a product marketing manager at Adobe, Brent brings data-driven solutions to market that connect global brands to their customers. Over a decade of experience in CXM and developer tooling industries, Brent helps engineering, product, and marketing teams leverage software technologies and services to better compete and serve their mission.
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