Shopatron Predicts Ten Trends for 2012, Including Mobile Becoming 18-20% of Website Traffic

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Shopatron, the world's largest eCommerce solution for branded manufacturers, has released their predictions for the web's impact on retail shopping in 2012, and they all point to one thing—the web and mobile are fundamentally changing the way people shop. The projections also foretell an era of "no boundaries" shopping, fueled by growth in mobile and social networking, as well as the omnipresence of the web in general.

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A key prediction in Shopatron's report relates to mobile shopping. From January to December 2011, the percentage of visits to Shopatron brand partner stores from mobile devices grew from 6.5% to 12.2%. Greg Squires, Online Marketing Manager for Shopatron, predicts that number will grow to 18-20% by the end of 2012.

"We have seen rapid growth in mobile this year, with visits to our mobile optimized client stores approaching double what we saw at the beginning of the year," says Squires.  "And we expect that number to nearly double again in 2012. With this level of traffic, we recommend that brands pay special attention to their mobile presence and mobile marketing tactics in the coming year."

Shopatron also predicts social networking will have a stronger influence on retail purchasing behavior in 2012. Mr. Squires specifically predicts significant growth in the use of Facebook advertising. Currently, about 50% of Shopatron clients using the company's online marketing services are investing in Facebook ads or Facebook shops. He expects that number to reach 70-75% by the end of next year.

"There's an undeniable shift happening," notes Shopatron SVP of Marketing, Mark Grondin. "Consumers are being conditioned to expect that they can shop anywhere, anytime and any way they like. Not just in stores, but also on their computers, their phones, their tablets, their TVs and soon on their refrigerators. Brands and retailers that don't accommodate them are going to lose sales and loyalty."

To receive Shopatron's predictions for retail eCommerce in 2012, you can download the whitepaper 10 Ways "Online" Will Change Life for Brands and Retailers in 2012 or listen to an online presentation of the report on-demand on the Shopatron website.

For more information about Shopatron, visit ecommerce.shopatron.com or call 866-625-5050.

About Shopatron

Founded in 2001, Shopatron is the only eCommerce solution in the world that can drive more online sales while, at the same time, increasing a company's sales through the retail channel. Working with over 1,000 brands and 18,000 retail partners across more than 35 industries, Shopatron offers an innovative and flexible approach to eCommerce that matches the unique needs of branded manufacturers and multi-channel retailers.

With Shopatron's eCommerce solution for brands, Coex Freedom, manufacturers sell on their website and send orders to their retail partners for fulfillment. This solution eliminates channel conflict, builds retailer relationships, grows distribution and increases overall sales for the brand. Shopatron's solution for multi-channel retailers, Coex Private, allows retailers to fulfill orders from all inventory centers, including both retail stores and distribution centers. Shopatron's distributed order management model also enables in-store pickup to drive foot traffic into brick-and-mortar locations for additional services and add-on sales.

Shopatron clients include top brands such as Louisville Slugger, Suzuki, Polaroid, Mizuno, Ducati, JL Audio, American Tire Distributors and Sport Chalet. The company is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, Calif.


SOURCE Shopatron