As consumers continue to tap into their smartphones to research potential purchases, mobile commerce will continue to increase and impact overall retail sales. In fact, mobile commerce sales are expected to grow from $3.5 billion in 2012 to $31 billion in 2015, according to eMarketer.
To keep pace with this anticipated growth, Mattel — a global manufacturer of toys, games and children’s apparel — recently unveiled its mobile-optimized site. The new release is powered by Usablenet, a provider of multichannel technology and solutions, and was developed to “address the needs of millennial parents and provide them with a technology-relevant solution,” Andres Amezquita, VP of e-Commerce for Mattel, told Retail TouchPoints.
“In the past, Mattel created its own consumer games, applications and mobile content, but as consumers’ mobile habits changed, we needed a partner to help us achieve our goals in the mobile commerce space more efficiently,” Amezquita explained. “We wanted to optimize our two e-Commerce stores — Mattelshop and Fisher-PriceStore — to the mobile screen so parents could receive more product information and consumer reviews at the point of sale. This strategy would then help build business with our retailers.”
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Through Mattel’s mobile-optimized site, visitors can sift through a variety of toys, games, apparel and other items with a navigation feature that includes product listing, sorting and refinement based on age, brand and price. They also can access in-depth product display pages, ratings and reviews, and a “related items” feature to optimize discovery and recommendations.
In addition, the new site is equipped with PayPal Mobile Express Checkout, which helps speed overall transaction time, according to Amezquita. With brick-and-mortar and web spaces continuing to converge, Mattel is working closely with PayPal to help create the future of mobile shopping, he added.
However, Mattel’s direct measurement goals with the mobile site currently are focused on traffic, Amezquita reported. “We don’t anticipate a significant boost in revenue for our direct-to-consumer sites,” he said, “But we do expect to see a revenue increase with our retailers as we provide more and better information to enhance the shopping experience.”
As Mattel continues to develop its mobile shopping experience, the manufacturer “plans to be wherever our consumers are,” Amezquita reported. “The important distinction, however, is mapping out what each consumer touch point is delivering within the digital ecosystem.”
This especially will be true during the highly-competitive holiday season, during which retailers and manufacturers will fight to win customer eyes and dollars, according to Carin Van Vuuren, Chief Marketing Officer of Usablenet.
“Retailers must take a holistic view when establishing their mobile strategies by addressing all channels to ensure customer engagement no matter what touch point that customer chooses,” Van Vuuren said. “Mattel wanted to create a mobile site that can effectively aid customers in their research when purchasing toys; the launch of its mobile site is perfectly timed for the busy holiday season.”
