Before you take out your smartphone to grab dinner, groceries or toiletries delivered right to your door, consider this from a Lehigh University of Business And Economics assistant professor of marketing: Mobile purchases may not be profitable for business in the long term.
While it’s tempting to buy with inspiration from both convenience and trends, the reality of the future for the global marketplace is different.
Ju-Yeon Lee’s research, performed in collaboration with colleagues from Michigan State and the University of Illinois, has revealed that consumers are far more likely to make small purchases via mobile platform than they are to buy big ticket items – the ones that drive the consumer goods economy.
“Retailers and firms are transitioning their marketing channels to mobile interface instead of desktops, but they don’t necessarily have clear guidance on the effects of these changes,” Lee said. “They may have unforeseen and negative consequences… further analysis revealed that orders made through mobile devices contain 20 percent cheaper and 7 percent fewer products than orders from other online devices.”
This research could yield a new niche for those in data analytics, marketing, and supply chain fields, not to mention consumer behavior. “Firms could develop websites that do not demand much cognitive effort from consumers to navigate…” she said.
Lee’s moment of insight was revealed in part by her time spent in an airport, waiting for a flight. She realized that while she was happy to peruse her phone searching for small items that she needed, she gave pause while making larger purchases. “Wait, this order exceeds $300—do I feel safe making this transaction at the airport?” she asked.
The conclusion of the research is an important one for both consumers and business leaders – each will benefit from greater awareness that mobile and desktop platforms have long-term strengths and weaknesses.