Mobile technology has changed the social world. Not only has it altered the way we communicate and interact with each other, it has also greatly affected consumer behavior. In order to capture sales, retailers have created a dual path on mobile devices via sites and apps; thus, no matter how consumers prefer to purchase, they have an easy solution. Understanding consumer behavior and how shoppers use their mobile devices is now critical in conquering the path to purchase.

Mobile Shopping Frequency

According to a study by Google Marketing Insights, nearly half of U.S. consumers with mobile phones use their devices weekly to shop. One in ten people states that they shop via mobile daily. These are huge numbers, especially when coupled with the fact that 60% of consumers use a mobile website to shop. Despite the proliferation of apps, it seems that a user-friendly mobile website is preferred by shoppers.

Information vs. Convenience

In general, mobile shoppers find that mobile websites offer more information. While 64 percent agree that shopping apps load quicker and 60 percent say they are easier to navigate, the path to purchase seems to flow more easily through a mobile website. This makes a strong case for all retailers having device agnostic or responsive websites. Having a website that scales based on device is key to capturing a majority of shoppers.

Incentives Make Apps Attractive

If a retailer is interested in making sure their app is part of the path to purchase, including special discounts or exclusive deals via the app seems to be the way to go. Thirty-five percent of mobile shoppers state they download apps specifically for discounts. Additionally, making sure the app is secure will also ensure more consumers use it; more than 70 percent of smartphone owners who download apps cite security as a deciding factor.

If you're looking for ways to streamline your path to purchase or simply want to learn more about mobile- and app-based shopping trends, please contact Energyhill today. Our team of expert marketers is ready to help you capture and cash in on this mobile revenue stream.

Increasing online sales year after year has resulted in a steady decline of brick and mortar locations for many retailers. While this year's Cyber Monday sales hit record highs, according to the Washington Post, in-store visits declined by 1.6 percent over last year. As a result, below are 20 of the biggest retailers who will be closing locations before the end of 2017:

Clothing Retailers

• Abercrombie & Fitch
  The speciality clothing retailer for tweens, teens and young adults has closed hundreds of locations in the past few years. They have announced another 60 locations will close in 2017.
• American Apparel
  Once considered an edgy clothing retailer due to their envelope-pushing ad campaigns, American Apparel filed for bankruptcy in 2017. This resulted in all 110 of their retail locations closing their doors.
• BCBG
  Based in Los Angeles, the clothier filed for bankruptcy in February 2017 and closed over 110 stores. However, through a company-reorganization, 300 stores remain open.
• Bebe
  This women's apparel brand closed all 168 of its stores in May 2017.
• Guess
  They have announced that 60 of its U.S. locations will close as the company focuses more attention on consumer markets.
• J. Crew
  The once preppy clothing brand announced 50 of its stores would close in 2017.
• J.C. Penney
  This department store will restructure its business to more closely align with shifting consumer tastes. It will close 138 of its locations.
• The Limited
  A specialty clothing retailer, The Limited had a particularly difficult 2016 holiday season. This resulted in closing all 250 of its retail locations and a loss of more than 4,000 jobs.
• Macy's
  While only closing 68 of its retail locations, this will supposedly result in the loss of thousands of jobs.
• Michael Kors
  The high-end clothing brand will close 125 stores to better adapt to a changing retail landscape.
• Rue21
  After closing 400 of its 1,100 retail locations, the teen clothing retailer then filed for bankruptcy in May.
• Sears/Kmart
  The once ubiquitous department store and discount chain has suffered from a changing e-commerce retail landscape. The company has closed 35 Kmart locations and 8 Sears stores and has plans to close over 300 more.
• Wet Seal
  Another teen clothing retailer, Wet Seal filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and closed all of its 171 stores in 2017.

Specialty Retailers

• Aerosoles
  A New Jersey-based shoe company, Aerosoles filed for bankruptcy in September 2017. It is unclear how many of its 88 retail locations will be affected.
• The Children's Place
  Once a mall staple, The Children's Place will adjust its business model to focus on ecommerce. This will result in hundreds of store closures by 2020.
• CVS
  The pharmacy retailer is slated to close 70 locations.
• Gymboree
  Another children's clothing retailer plans to close 350 of its 1,200 locations.
• H.H. Gregg
  Unable to find a buyer once it filed for bankruptcy, the electronics retailer will close all of its 220 stores.
• Payless
  The shoe retailer will close 800 stores this year and filed for bankruptcy in April 2017.
• RadioShack
  Only 70 retail locations remain after another 1,000 were closed in 2017.
• Toys R Us
  One of the last remaining independent toy store chains, Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in September. However, it has said its 1,600 retail locations will remain open and operate as normal.

There are advantages and disadvantages to shopping purely online. The convenience factor is certainly an advantage; while the inability to touch and feel the product prior to purchase is a challenge. Perhaps the biggest challenge, however, is the loss of local jobs associated with closing retail stores. Whether you're part of a brick-and-mortar location or own an online retail store, you'll need robust digital marketing efforts to keep the business healthy. Energyhill is committed to working with clients in all aspects of advertising, design, and video promotion. For more information about our work and how we can help your business, please contact us today.