As online shopping behavior continues to evolve, mcommerce is seeing unprecedented growth in the Middle East & North Africa region. It is no longer about consumers purchasing from one device but four in 10 purchases occur across multiple devices or channels globally, according to Criteo’s ‘State of Mobile Commerce’ report. Of that figure, close to one-third are completed on mobile devices, indicating that consumers are using numerous devices along their path to purchase and are regularly buying on mobile.
The proliferation of mcommerce is further fueling the desire for more personalized brand experiences from consumers. Digital marketers can no longer look at device use alone to identify and convert consumers into buyers. For companies to win, understanding user profiles across multiple devices, browsers, and apps in order to provide them with a meaningful and relevant experience throughout their shopping journey is key.
“In order to better understand this digitally-savvy consumer, marketers need to stop looking at each device on its own, and start understanding the user behind them. Multi-device behavior is the new normal. Criteo’s new Universal Match solution enables advertisers to zero in on shoppers at the time they are most likely to purchase, with a targeted message across all of their devices,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo.
Mobile Shopping Is Booming For Retailers
The Criteo report informs that retailers with a strong mobile shopping experience closed out 2015 with impressive sales results, shifting many mobile device browsers into buyers.
In the GCC, the share of mobile transactions made up more than one-third of online purchases, at 35.9 percent for Q4 2015. This is more than double the global average. In Q4 2015, global mobile transaction share saw 15 percent growth from 2014, reaching 30 percent of all ecommerce transactions.
Cross Device Use Continues to Rise
Consumers are comfortably using multiple devices including laptops, tablets and smartphones, in all stages of their shopping journey. The need to better understand consumer behavior, influence and intent are key components to engaging them in their cross-device journey. The report points out that one in five mobile transactions in the GCC are conducted on a tablet, with four out of five taking place on smartphones. That is 19 percent for tablets, both IOS and Android, and 81 percent for smartphones.
Mobile as a share of ecommerce transactions are steadily growing worldwide. As consumers across the world turn to mobile for their purchasing device of choice, international brands need to ensure their mobile marketing strategies are meeting user standards.
