Editor's Note: 6 Cross-Channel Retail Trends to Watch in 2013

While you're likely in the middle of the busy holiday season right now, 2013 is just around the corner. As you begin to look forward to the new year, here's a list of predictions I've put together for what cross-channel retailers can expect come 2013:

1. The year of mobile … really. According to Gartner Research, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common web access device worldwide in 2013. What does this mean for retailers? If you haven't already, jump on the mobile integration bandwagon. Next year, consumers will expect that the retailers they choose to shop from will not only have a mobile application, but a mobile-optimized website as well that can be viewed on both smartphones and tablets. Consumers are also going to expect that retailers will enable location services on their mobile-optimized sites.

2. A proliferation of easy payment options. As consumers continue to make more purchases via their smartphones (see prediction No. 1), they'll demand that retailers enable a variety of payment methods on their e-commerce sites and mobile applications. Consumers may also demand the option of paying cash for their online purchases. After all, Wal-Mart added cash as a payment option for Walmart.com shoppers earlier this year. Customers bring their order confirmation email to their local Wal-Mart store within 48 hours of purchase and they can pay with cash.

3. Social media will still be a player. We've all heard it over and over again this year: social media isn't bringing a worthwhile return on investment, so retailers may scrap it as part of their marketing plans. Don't be fooled by its critics, social media isn't going anywhere — at least for the foreseeable future. If anything, retailers are just beginning to fully understand that while social media may not offer the traditional ROI that other types of marketing vehicles do, there's still positive branding power in it.