Merchant Services » Canadian Merchant Blog » E-Commerce Advice » Retailers will focus on customers to increase sales, study shows

Retailers will focus on customers to increase sales, study shows

17/02/2012 - By Frank LoSchiavo

Retailers will improve customer service efforts this year by investing in retail technology and ecommerce.

Tag: E-Commerce

In 2012, retail businesses are planning to invest in ecommerce and information technology to better engage customers, according to a report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and KPMG.

To meet the growing demand for digital solutions, merchants are developing mobile platforms and spending money to improve online offerings, such as payment processing. This trend represents a substantial switch from efforts that have historically been geared toward brick-and-mortar locations. Merchants reported that business websites were a main marketing priority this year. The number of retailers who plan to focus more efforts on ecommerce increased from 82 percent to 86 percent year-over-year, while the proportion of respondents who said physical stores were a top priority fell 11 percent since 2011.

"Harnessing the vast amounts of customer data they have at their disposal to create unique consumer interactions will be critical, especially as digital sales grow," Mark Larson, KPMG’s global head of retail, said in the survey.

The study also revealed that retailers have seen consumer spending gains this year at point-of-sale terminals. One third of respondents said that same-store sales grew by more than 5 percent last year and 63 percent reported that gross margins were also up from 2010, surpassing 40 percent.

Articles written by ChargeNational.com's editorial team. For more information, click here.

Related Blogs - E-Commerce

North American consumers spending more money online

14/05/2012 - By Frank LoSchiavo

Businesses that invest in payment processing services capable of completing card-not-present transactions online might be able to capitalize on a larger portion of ecommerce sales.

Full Article

Online beauty products expected to surge overseas

25/04/2012 - By Frank LoSchiavo

As part of the growing ecommerce markets, the beauty sector is expected to realize significant sales gains in the coming years.

Full Article

Brands are cashing in on Pinterest credit card processing

19/04/2012 - By Louis Georgakakis

Retail brands are getting on board with Pinterest to capitalize on sales opportunities from its roughly 20 million monthly visitors. In March, the social sharing network received 18.7 million unique visitors according to a ComScore study.

Full Article