The average percentage of sales on retail websites that is attributable to mobile devices has risen from 0.4 per cent at the start of 2010, to 3.3 per cent in Q2 (May – July) 2011, according to the initial findings from the IMRG’s new Quarterly Benchmarking Index. The highest percentage of sales through mobile for participating retailers was just under 7 per cent.

The percentage of visits via mobile is also increasing, from an average of 1.4 per cent in Q1 (February – April) 2011 to 7 per cent in the latest quarter. The rate of mobile visits is as high as 12 per cent for some retailers.

The Index is an additional reporting tool that is open to all participants in the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index. It tracks over 40 key performance indicators across seven categories – website performance; customer acquisition & retention; commercial; channel; marketing; order fulfilment; and geographical split. The Quarterly Index has been launched based upon six quarters of data.
In a sign that retailer sites are becoming more engaging for consumers, both checkout and basket abandonment rates have dropped over the last six quarters, from 37 per cent to 32 per cent for checkout abandonment, and from 63 per cent to a still high 59 per cent for basket abandonment.

“Mobile has been discussed for a while now as an important channel for retailers to engage through, and with some retailers having up to 12 per cent of their traffic coming through that channel, its popularity among consumers is clear,” notes David J Smith, chief marketing & communications officer at IMRG. “The Quarterly Index provides invaluable data for retailers that can greatly assist with spend decisions, for example revealing the best periods in the year for ROI and how your bounce rates compare with your competitors. This Index is open to retailers of all sizes and sectors, and can perform an important role in helping to shape marketing strategies.”

Non-participants can access a brief overview of the findings from the Quarterly Benchmarking Index, while participants receive the full report, including all seven key performance indicators.

Around 20 retailers are currently participating in the IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking Index: Bank, Blacks, Boden, Clarks, Co-operative Travel, Crocus, Debenhams, Freeman Grattan Holdings, Home & Cook, JD Sports, John Lewis, Joules, Lyco, M and M Direct, Marks & Spencer, Matalan, Milletts, New Look, Schuh, Scott, Shop Direct & Size.