Mobile commerce can entice consumers back on to Britain’s high streets rather than posing a threat to bricks-and-mortar retail, according to an app development agency.
Retail journalist and TV personality Mary Portas last week delivered her long-awaited report – commissioned by prime minister David Cameron – into the future of the high street. The study concluded that many retailers had failed to respond to the rise of online and mobile shopping.
Ms Portas called on physical retailers to adapt to recent developments in the market and suggested renewed engagement with m-commerce and social media could help them win shoppers back. Adam Levene, chief strategy officer at Grapple, agreed with this assessment.
“Mobile is proving to be the perfect platform to encourage customers back to the high street by providing an ‘on-the-go’ interactive tool to use in-store, enhancing the shopping experience” he explained. “We predict this trend will continue into 2012, where more retailers will go further to provide complementary in-store mobile functionality.”
The review received an enthusiastic reception from the Federation of Small Businesses, which urged local and central government to act on its recommendations to safeguard the high street.
