How Mobile Has Redefined
the Consumer Decision
Journey for Shoppers
Think with Google
When people shop, their smartphone
is now their go-to advisor and assis-
tant. For retailers, this means big
opportunities to be there and be use-
ful in shoppers’ micro-moments. This
introduction to a five-part series
reveals the mobile retail trends shap-
ing the industry and why they matter.
If we took a snapshot of the shopping experience a
decade ago, it would look something like this: When
looking for ideas and inspiration, a shopper would
either go online, browse a catalog, or walk the store
aisles. When in-store, a shopper would learn more
about a product and either head to the cashier or
head home to buy online. The point is that a shopper
interacted with channels independently. But the rise
of mobile has changed this picture.
What’s different today is that even though this behav-
ior still happens, shoppers are omnichannel: 6 in 10
internet users start shopping on one device but con-
tinue or finish on a different one, and 82% of smart-
phone users say they consult their phones on pur-
chases they’re about to make in a store. They get
ideas, look up information, and make decisions, all
from their smartphone anytime, anywhere.
46 | THE DOPPLER | SUMMER 2017
How Consumer Behavior on Mobile is
Shaping Retail Trends
Consider this: Foot traffic in retail stores has declined
by 57% in the past five years, but the value of every
visit has nearly tripled.
What’s happening? Mobile is driving local.
People use their smartphones before heading
in-store—to gather ideas, research products, and
then search for local information. It’s no wonder that
searches for “near me” have doubled in the past year.
But research isn’t the only way mobile is changing the
shopping experience. Shoppers buy on mobile, too. A
person today might make a buying decision about a
$15 tube of sunscreen, a $300 camera, or a $3,000
handbag on a smartphone while on her commute to
work, as she walks the dog, or waits to pick up her son
in the carpool line. Time on site for mobile users in
the U.S. is down 5% year over year, however retail’s
share of online purchases is still growing. Thirty-four
percent of online retail purchases now happen on
mobile devices.
The bottom line: In this mobile-fueled shopping land-
scape, the retailers that thrive see the opportunity to
be there and be useful for shoppers in what we call
micro-moments. Those intent-rich moments when
people turn to their smartphones or other devices to
know, go, do, or buy something.