Seen on social: Most social commerce purchases will take place on mobile devices. “And as platforms become more sophisticated in how people can complete in-app sales and through different ad formats, that’s only going to push mcommerce in the future,” Perkins said.
TikTok, for example, is testing ways to make all videos shoppable. A new feature would identify products in videos, leading TikTok users to buy or browse similar items, according to Bloomberg. The feature should help drive mcommerce sales via TikTok’s 40.7 million social buyers in the US this year, per our September 2023 forecast.
TikTok’s audience is primed to shop, even if they don’t check out through the app. UK referral traffic from TikTok content to retailer websites grew by 378% between January 2022 and May 2023, according to a June 2023 report from Adobe.
Getting appy: “Especially in the UK, retailers have digitized their loyalty programs, launching them through apps,” Perkins said. That will lead to more people engaging on mobile, at home, and even in-store, to read reviews, compare prices, unlock personalized deals, and pull up loyalty account details. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of consumers worldwide say they’re likely to use a retailer app when shopping at its physical store, per March 2023 Airship data.
Although the use of mobile in-stores doesn’t directly contribute to mcommerce sales, it points toward the growing comfortability of mobile shopping. “Mobile [devices] are the bridge between digital and in-store,” said Perkins. “And as retailers develop their apps and its functionality, it will drive sales on both sides.”
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