How Smartphones and Charging Stations are Changing Retail Shopping

Phones have changed the way we do just about everything in our daily lives.  We are constantly connected and have access to anything we may ever need or want, literally at our fingertips.

While digital technology and mobile devices have changed the way we communicate, experience media, and conduct business, they have also revolutionized the way we shop.  One of the relationships that smartphones have impacted the most is that between retail outlets and their shoppers.

Online shopping and e-commerce, while convenient, sophisticated, and still fairly new, are playing catchup to traditional brick-and-mortar outlets.  According to InternetRetailer.com, e-commerce sales exceeded $294 billion in 2015, which was a 14.6% increase; however, brick-and-mortar saw over $3.9 trillion in sales.  While these two sectors will continue to compete for consumer dollars, it is the same technology that led to the rise and growth of e-commerce that provides a genuine opportunity for physical retail locations.

75% of in-store shoppers use their phones to make purchasing decisions.  Their ability to find what they are looking for, compare prices, and shop for alternatives have a direct influence on where they will buy.  Not only are a vast majority of consumers leveraging mobile while shopping, 90% are using it to research and take other “pre-shopping” actions.  While these statistics present a huge opportunity for retailers when it comes optimizing their mobile platforms, there are some other important things that mobile shoppers offer.

• According to Forbes, mobile shoppers are expected to spend $31 billion by the end of 2016.
• Mobile wallets’, like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, spending volume is forecasted to exceed $500 billion by 2020.
• Shoppers who use their mobile devices as a resource often spend more.
• 1 in 3 mobile shoppers will refer to their device as opposed to seeking a store employee.
• According to Mobify, 88% of shoppers agree that having real time access to information makes them a “more spontaneous shopper”.
• 51% of all shoppers do online research and then visit a store to purchase.

These are all important and frankly fascinating statistics that illustrate how technology is changing everything from the way that people shop, to the way that stores sell.  It is also important to understand that mobile devices don’t only get people into stores, but they help keep them there longer, resulting in higher spending.  Now that we’ve discussed the content on the phone, let’s take a closer look at the phone itself and how, as a retail brand, you can enhance the customer’s mobile experience even more.

Battery performance on smart devices is notoriously lacking.  Based on the research above, the last thing that you need is to have a customer that can’t use their phone due to a dead or dying battery. This is where portable charging devices give you a chance to literally connect with your customers. Providing the option for shoppers to charge their devices while shopping is not only a great opportunity to create a great customer experience, it is also a great time to promote your brand.

Power Pax by Veloxity does exactly this. Simply provide a portable pack from the charging bay, select the appropriate cable from the bottom of the pack, and go about your business while your device charges before returning it to the charging bay. Custom branding on the packs and charging bays are an ideal and innovative way to promote your business. Veloxity has designed phone charging stations for major retailers like Calvin Klein and Michael Kors.