3 Ways Retailers Can Capitalize on Nomophobia

With mobile-friendly websites and apps, retailers can deliver on a customer's desire for easily accessible information in the palm of their hand, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Accept mobile payments. With the emergence of smartwatches and new payment methods, particularly Apple Watch and Apple Pay, mobile addiction is at an all-time high. Within 72 hours of its launch, 1 million payment cards were activated on Apple Pay. With a mobile payment structure that's simple and secure, Apple Pay has created a new breed of shoppers seeking out retailers that accept this form of payment. Retailers that don’t offer Apple Pay or another form of mobile payment risk losing customers.

Forrester Research projected the mobile in-person market (i.e., people using phones to pay in-store) to be valued at $6.8 billion in 2015. This new form of payment is fast, convenient and easily accessible, which means traditional retailers must find ways to work mobile payment into their brick-and-mortar locations or risk losing the ongoing battle to e-commerce.

3. Encourage frequent upgrades. Mobile-friendly programs can tie a customer’s love for smartphones with his or her love for shopping. For example, retailers can leverage in-store trade-in programs to accelerate a customer’s device upgrade timeline. Device trade-in programs have become popular among consumers looking for ways to upgrade to the latest and greatest for less. Well-timed trade-in promotions can help retailers cut through the clutter during new device launches, while increasing foot traffic from buyers looking for money-saving specials tied to new technology investments.

Retailers looking to motivate mobile-obsessed customers should embrace an online presence to amplify in-store promotions, and offer customers mobile promotions that can only be redeemed in-store. Promoting in-store trade-in through digital channels ensures trade-in messages reach consumers who are tied to their smartphones, helping to drive them in-store. By catering to consumers who want the latest and greatest device, retailers are encouraging more spending and boosting foot traffic to stores.