• create and store shopping lists
• scan product bar codes to compare product characteristics
• access coupons and promotions

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; only the imagination limits the services that could be available.

Physical retailers and product manufacturers now have a unique opportunity to shape how consumers experience these new technology possibilities.

This white paper is designed to give you the information you need to take full advantage of mobile both within stores and across the other channels you use.

Good for consumers

For consumers, mobile has the potential to:

• Make life easier. Mobile services integrated into the shopping experience – such as selfscanning and mobile payment – help consumers to get what they want more quickly. Even simple services such as mobile shopping lists can help consumers manage their lives better.

• Make life more meaningful. Giving consumers the right information and tools at the right time helps them to make good choices. Mobile services like extended packaging allow consumers to choose products that are aligned with values such as health and well-being, respect for the environment and ethical choices.

Good for business

By using mobile technology to meet consumer needs for information and services, retailers and product manufacturers can:

• Increase sales. There is a clear link between relevant information provided at the point-of-sale and purchase decisions. Put simply, better information means more sales.

• Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Consumers will reward those businesses that best meet their needs for information and services. Mobile allows increased personalisation – meeting consumer needs even better.

• Add value to physical products and experiences through digital services. As consumers spend increasing amounts of time online, mobile can become the “glue” that ties physical products and stores to the digital world.

What next?

To take full advantage of these opportunities, retailers need to ensure that they understand the strategic role that mobile will play in their organisation and then assemble the right mix of people to ensure that strategy is well executed.

Identify the people in your organisation that need to be involved and share this document with them.

It will help you define:

• The ways in which mobile can improve consumer experience inside and outside stores
• The range of technology choices that are available today and in the future
• The investment decisions that need to be made to benefit most from mobile technology

A GS1 MobileCom White Paper (full report)