Ten percent of US adults under 35 years old regularly use visual search to shop, and another 17% have used it less regularly. Of those adults ages 18 to 34 who have not used it, the majority are interested in the technology.
This fall, Google released multisearch functionality combining text and visual search, which is one of the company’s strongest ecommerce features, according to Wurmser. Search innovations, especially via mobile, will drive product discovery in the coming years.
The bottom line: Mobile is an increasingly important retail channel, but a lot of that importance isn’t strictly mcommerce. Mobile aspects like search, digital coupons, and QR codes drive purchases both online and offline. In the coming era of omnichannel commerce and visual search, marketers and retailers alike should maintain a focus on all aspects of mobile.
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