Retailers develop mobile e-commerce

Acquity Group, a global e-commerce and digital marketing

company, has announced the results of its third-annual Mobile Audit, which analyses Internet Retailer’s Top 500 companies on their rate of mobile adoption. 

The results show that the percentage of retailers with a mobile site moved from 4% in 2009 to 12% in 2010, to more than 37% in 2011; a 210% increase over the past year alone. The study also found that one in four retailers have at least one mobile app, with nearly a quarter developing for the iPhone, followed by 10% for the Android. Retailers offering mobile apps also grew 278% over the past year, rising from 7%in 2010 to slightly more than 26% in 2011.


According to the findings, online retailers are prioritising the release of mobile-optimised sites over the creation of mobile apps. “Companies are still experimenting with the development of mobile apps,” said Robert Barr, senior vice president at Acquity Group. “While many brands have launched mobile-optimized sites at this point, apps have yet to reach full adoption with retailers.”

This year’s Top 10 ‘Best-in-Class’ companies leading the way in mobile initiatives include, fashion retailer’s Armani Exchange and the Gilt Group, alongside Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Buy.com, Cabela’s, The Home Depot, Newegg, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart.


“These ten retailers are executing mobile tactics that are positioning them ahead of the mobile commerce curve,” said Tom Nawara, vice president of digital strategy and design at Acquity Group. “All of these companies have made a focused commitment to mobile, and it’s paying off. Not only have they implemented mobile-optimized sites to support a wide range of devices, but they have taken initiatives a step further with exceptional transactional functionality and well-designed apps that meet customer needs.”