mobile internet

The social, digital and mobile map of Europe

With a population of 63m, the UK has 55m internet users, 36m Facebook users and 82m mobile subscriptions (which is 30% more than our actual population).

This makes the UK prime territory for digital marketers, but how do we compare with the rest of Europe?

We Are Social has published its Social, Digital and Mobile in Europe Report and it reveals an insight into how much the online world has penetrated our everyday lives.

In the UK, the average time that internet users spend on the internet each day is four hours and six minutes, that’s just through a desktop or laptop computer.

Mobile internet penetration for the UK currently stands at 62% of the total population, with those users currently accessing mobile internet for an average of one hour and 34 minutes.

Let’s compare those figures to the rest of Europe.

Is showrooming really a myth?

A new report from Verdict, reported here, labels ‘showrooming’ as a myth, basing this on the finding that only 2% of respondents had bought an item online while at a retailer’s store. 

I’m not convinced, having seen plenty of evidence of the growing use of mobiles when shopping offline, whether to purchase there and then or to check prices from rival retailers. 

So is it a myth? Let’s have a look at the evidence…

Why are people showrooming and how should retailers respond?

Many retailers are understandably worried about shoppers using their mobiles to compare prices and the threat posed by online-only retailers, which can often beat offline prices. 

However, there is much to be learned about the motivation of mobile shoppers. It seems some intend to buy online no matter what but there is potential for shops to turn others around with great in-store experiences, discounts and rewards. 

Columbia Business School and Aimia have just produced a report on showrooming, which contains some useful stats.

Here’s a selection from the report, along with a few of our suggestions for retailers to deal with the ‘threat’ of showrooming.  

13 ways for retailers to deal with the threat of showrooming

Showrooming, whether retailers like it or not, is here to stay. In fact, as smartphone usage grows, it’s only going to increase. 

Naturally, as retailers see the threat of people using their mobiles to compare prices and buy elsewhere, they are concerned about this trend. 

But what can they do about it?

Here are a few suggestions for tactics that offline and multichannel retailers can use…