Retailer Responses to Smartphone-equipped Customers

As Black Friday approaches, there is anxiety among some retailers about how the mobile phenomenon will impact their customers' buying habits. With many customers now shopping with their smartphones in hand, simply getting customers in the door is no longer enough.

According to the comScore Q2 2011 State of US Online Retail Economy, the percentage of people who now use their smartphones to comparison shop while in the store has reached 40%. And 14% have gone so far as to buy a product on a device from a competing retailer while in the store.

Some companies are working to get ahead of the trend. Best Buy has added QR codes to their product fact tags to dissuade customers from turning to Google. Walmart has launched a new iPhone app aimed at enhancing the mobile-enabled shopping experience, with features that help shoppers keep lists, know which products are in inventory, and navigate stores.

I have experimented a bit with making retail purchases on my phone and had a good experience so far. It's not hard to imagine trying on shoes in a Foot Locker and opening my Zappos app to grab a better price right there in the store.