Amazon isn’t just winning mobile; it’s blowing away the competition. The e-Commerce giant has tripled its number of unique mobile visitors since December 2014, according to a note from Oppenheim obtained by Business Insider.
“At the end of 2014, Amazon had roughly the same number of mobile unique visitors as Walmart and eBay, in the U.S.,” Oppenheimer wrote in the note. “As of December 2016, Amazon has more unique visitors than the apps of those two companies’ combined.”
In December 2016 Amazon had approximately 70,000 U.S. unique monthly mobile visitors. By comparison, Walmart and eBay each had roughly 20,000 to 30,000 unique mobile visitors.
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Amazon’s mobile app also is increasing its penetration rate in the U.S., with 50% of the company’s online shoppers now using it.
As Mobile Use Increases, Retailers Take Notes
Mobile device sales reached $28.43 billion in revenue during the 2016 holiday season, a 23% increase over 2015, according to Adobe Digital Insights. With mobile representing 31% of online purchases during the period, the need for retailers to optimize the channel continues to rise.
The increase in mobile traffic and sales signals that more consumers are comfortable using the technology, whether through an app or mobile site. With that in mind, many retailers have taken steps in the right direction, but more need to focus on long-term engagement.
For example, Foot Locker recently integrated “Audio Tours” into its mobile site experience, as an in-store storytelling outlet to educate shoppers on the history and characteristics of specific shoes — all while driving more users to the mobile page. The campaign both adds value to the store experience while introducing more shoppers to the mobile side for potential future transactions.
And although Amazon remains dominant with mobile, don’t tell e-Commerce retailer Touch of Modern that it should start fretting. Much of the men’s lifestyle brand’s mobile strategy revolves around highlighting rare, newly curated products that a consumer hasn’t seen before. While the shopper may not immediately make a mobile purchase, they can sift through the selection of products for entertainment and perhaps feel compelled to buy at a later time.
These examples reveal that brands can find success with mobile, despite Amazon’s ability to rack up big numbers. Retailers will need to focus on integration across channels and other forms of differentiation to get the most from their mobile engagements
