While mobile commerce is becoming the new norm, more and more customers are relying on mobile apps to make their purchases.

Whether it is to redeem coupons or to locate sale items, about 57 percent of the customers have used a retail mobile app while in-store, new research by Yes Marketing states.

However, only 33 percent of the customers prefer to shop on their smartphones. They would rather use a tablet or a computer for a more personalized experience.

Jim Sturm, president of Yes Marketing, explains,

“To survive the retail apocalypse, retailers need to prioritize the mobile experience. Consumers will not hesitate to turn to another brand if it offers a more user-friendly experience. Retailers can bridge the mobile-to-store experience by introducing apps that support the in-store shopping with features like maps of store layouts and access to product ratings.”

Michael Iaccarino, CEO and chairman of Infogroup, which is the parent company of Yes Marketing explains that the retailers need to adopt the right technology to meet customer expectations, as their preferences continue to evolve. He further added,

“Retailers should identify the right technology and services partner if they want to deliver a convenient, seamless shopping experience that can increase both customer lifetime loyalty and revenue.”

Other key findings from the report include:

• About 49 percent of the customers say that visually appealing stores would compel them to shop at a brick-and-mortar location.
• While 58 percent of the centennials do in-store shopping for visually appealing displays, Millenials are more interested in local events(36 percent) and additional services(42 percent).
• Almost all consumers(about 90 percent) purchase in stores at least once a month, 60 percent say that they shop in stores to see the items in person.

The report also disclosed that retailers are still wrestling to improve their overall mobile app experience. An equal number of customers prefer a desktop over mobile for in-store shopping because it’s faster to make purchases and easier to compare shops which are an indication that brands still cannot make their mobile experience perfect.