20 per cent of top retail brands still using unresponsive websites

A fifth of top retailers are still relying on websites that redirect to mobile-friendly versions, rather than responsive designs that adapt to a variety of devices, a new study has revealed. The report into digital commerce trends by Episerver found that, despite 98 per cent of commerce sites now being ‘mobile-friendly’, a worrying number were failing to adopt industry best practice when it comes to consumer-based design.

The research surveyed 1,200 UK consumers, as well as 100 professional marketers and 100 brands across five key sectors, combining these perspectives to create a 360-degree view of the modern retail landscape.

65 per cent of consumers now use their phone to order food or purchase non-essential items, with more than one in five doing this on a weekly basis, and shopping among the top five uses for a smartphone. From a marketing perspective, 96 per cent of marketers now incorporate mobile into their approach, with 77 per cent agreeing mobile is an ‘important touchpoint’ for their brands.

Episerver’s report breaks its findings down into seven key trends, including the decline of the app in favour of mobile web, driven in part by Google’s AMP project, the evolution of experience-driven eCommerce, the growth of data as a driving factor for both retailers and consumers, and the question of what wins out over loyalty, choice and convenience.

You can download the full report here for free.