Local retailers get serious about m-commerce

MOBILE MARKETING   M-COMMERCE

Singapore -  Retailers in Singapore are leveraging traditional media such as print and out of home to generate sales, thanks to M-commerce.

IT products retailer EpiCentre is currently running out of home and print promotions equipped with QR codes to generate sales for its newly launched IT-related lifestyle retail brand EpiLife.

The EpiLife On-The-Go campaign which was launched last month runs across MRT stations like Orchard, Somerset, City Hall and Bugis.

Additionally, EpiLife has plans to run the campaign on traditional media such as print ads and flyers, while turning them into a sales platform by attaching QR codes to allow readers to make immediate purchases online.

Another major retailer in Singapore, Courts is also looking to adopt m-commerce for its retail services, offering customers a different avenue to shop for more convenience.

"M-commerce is what we're keen on to link consumers on mobile, especially because now, a phone is more than just a device to make calls from," a spokesperson from Courts told Marketing, adding that its customer-focused initiatives will probably come up in the second half of the year.

A recent InMobi Global Mobile Media Consumption survey found 47% of mobile consumers use mobile as their primary media impacting purchasing decisions.

As such, m-commerce taps into consumers helping them make purchases on the go.  

According to John Steere, managing director of Momentum Worldwide in Greater China, mobile phones have changed the path to purchase.

"Retailers typically have three channels: the catalog, the physical store and their website. Your phone and its ability to make payments is the fourth channel. From a shopper marketing standpoint, it unifies the other three and thus creates a more enriching shopper experience," he said.

Michael Robinson, regional managing director for Momentum Worldwide Southeast Asia, added that while retailers have always been innovating to lure customers, it is important to note 'shopper' now warrants its own focus "because we have all found that traditional demographics and awareness vehicles no longer generate sales as they used to."  

Gereld Khoong, strategic planner at Euro RSCG Singapore, said more people are making purchasing details and engaging brands before stepping into a store.

"New innovations will arise from the new media, especially with the prevalence of smartphone growth, including customising apps and equivalent tools across the entire path-to-purchase journey from pre-trip, in-store to post purchase phases," he told Marketing.

M-commerce is destined to follow in the footsteps of E-commerce, only faster, however Khoong warned that like Twitter or Facebook, retailers must beware jumping in the M-commerce bandwagon as a poorly executed strategy will only backfire.

Steere agreed, adding that retailers need to embrace mobile marketing as part of their integrated marketing strategy, but they need to understand shoppers' heightened awareness and desire to make smart purchase decisions. 

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