Mobile searches rise 216% in second quarter
Figures released by the British Retail Consortium have shown that total retail search volumes grew by 27% in the second quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year thanks to a massive 216% rise in mobile search volumes year-on-year.
The growth of retail search volumes for multi-channel retailers (usually those using stores and the internet) reached 14% in the second quarter of 2011 compared with 21% for pure online retailers.
The number of overseas consumers searching for UK retailers grew by 34% in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
The number of UK consumers searching for overseas retailers grew by 76% in the second quarter of 2011 compared with the same period a year earlier.
London comprised 36% of all retail search volumes in the UK.
Stephen Robertson, director general, British Retail Consortium, said:
“While the retail sector as a whole is going through a difficult period, the boom in online retail continues. The star performer is mobile, with the number of retail searches being carried out on smart phones and tablets more than trebling for this quarter compared with the same period last year. Consumers are always looking for more convenient ways to shop. Retailers are making m-commerce easier all the time by offering mobile optimised websites, apps and transactional mobile platforms.”
He added: “There’s clear evidence of how the changing seasons affect what people search for online. Garden furniture and DIY are high on the list of top 10 retail searches. Searches for electricals – such as the iPad2 and kindle – are also common, probably as shoppers compare prices and look for deals.”
Peter Fitzgerald, retail director, Google, commented: “Q2 was an interesting quarter for retail searches online. Volumes were down in April as the warm weather and bank holidays took their toll, but picked up again in May with the return of cooler weather. However, mobile searches remained constant throughout the quarter, largely unaffected by the changing temperatures. This is unsurprising given the ‘always on’ nature of mobile users. In Consumer Electronics, new devices were all the rage. Searches for the iPad 2 which launched in March were among the highest in Q2, as were searches for the iPhone 5 which is set to launch in September of this year. Top Apparel searches in Q2 included wedding dresses as we entered the wedding season in the UK, while garden furniture featured among the top searches in the Home category.”
