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Tablet shopping growing, but retailers must keep up

June 15, 2012 | Online Marketing

Tablet users want to interact, inspect, even ‘play’ with products through their device, and retailers that deliver an immersive, fun experience are the most likely to see their tcommerce sales increase.

For millions of Americans the tablet is their personal, no-pressure salesperson. “But while consumers are increasingly eager to use tablets to shop, most retailers are failing to meet their expectations,” said Catherine Boyle, senior analyst and author of the new report, “Tablet Shopping Fuels ‘Couch and Pillow’ Commerce.” “Tablet users want to interact, inspect, even ‘play’ with products through their device, and retailers that deliver an immersive, fun experience are the most likely to see their tcommerce sales increase.”

In just over 12 months, tablet ownership has expanded beyond the early adopter set to include nearly all population groups. To reflect this rapid growth in tablet adoption and purchase intent over the past six months, eMarketer has raised its estimate for the number of tablet users in the US. The new forecast projects that the triple-digit growth seen in 2011 will carry through 2012, fueled primarily by the popularity of Apple’s iPad and Amazon’s Kindle Fire, as well as by an expanding selection of low-priced tablets. eMarketer projects more than 20% of US consumers - nearly 70 million Americans - will use a tablet by year’s end, and in three years’ time half of all internet users will be armed with them.

“Tablets are the boutiques of the online shopping world. Their tactile nature encourages consumers to hold the device close to their bodies. In turn, the tablet delivers a personal, even intimate, shopping environment that enables consumers to connect on a deeper level with what they see on their screens,” said Boyle.

Get the full story at eMarketer

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