Analyzing the Impact Mobile Will Have on Holiday Shopping

Making Mobile Personal
The rise of mobile-specific loyalty programs will certainly have an impact on shopping this holiday season. Sure, there are still plenty of people out there who clip coupons from newspaper circulars or get their card punched every time they buy a cup of coffee, but smartphones make it possible for retailers to make special offers and reward loyalty in a way that's far more targeted and specific to the individual consumer. Companies can use your location, analyze your shopping habits, look at your past purchases and know what items you've been researching to generate mobile offers that you're most likely to need and use.

Safeway runs an extremely effective, hyperpersonalized savings program called just for u. Using algorithms and every bit of data it can obtain from customers previous trips to Safeway, their household demographics and location, the grocery store retailer can offer deals and discounts that are designated (as the name would suggest) just for them. The special offers can be claimed once a customer enrolls in the program via a smartphone.

As we approach the holidays, expect more companies to follow Safeway's example. If data can be analyzed to predict that a specific family will likely take advantage of a special offer on turkey or stuffing, for example, information from previous mobile web searches and purchasing patterns can certainly determine who might be in the market for specific types of toys, electronics, cars and more.

Comparison Shopping
Recent developments in mobile technology have taken comparison shopping to a new level. Shoppers have to consider two key questions when buying any holiday gift: one, what am I buying and, two, where am I buying it? comScore reports that 58 percent of consumers use their mobile device during the in-store shopping experience. Users can hold a product in one hand while looking up a product, reading reviews and comparing prices in the other.