When developing mobile strategies for customers, retailers may put most of their focus on creating options for smartphone users, as many people now carry the gadgets with them everywhere they go. However, attention also needs to be put on tablets, as consumers are increasingly using these devices for shopping purposes.

Internet Retailer reports that research from CoffeeTable revealed that between the third and fourth quarters of 2012, retail purchases made on tablets jumped 11 percent. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2011, that figure comes to 37 percent. The study states that the rise in use of tablet devices for buying products really took off last year due to the holiday shopping season, as many consumers didn’t want to visit stores in the cold weather and instead bought their gifts online from home using their tablets.

This trend is expected to grow significantly in 2013, according to Econsultancy. Retail industry experts believe that merchants will see a large boost in the number of customers who use the devices to access their websites and purchase merchandise. For this reason, it is essential that businesses develop mobile strategies that include tablet site optimization and options for consumers.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, February 5th, 2013 at 9:27 am .