Worldwide there is a strong growth in smartphone owners in comparison to previous years and the number of them will surpass the 1,4 billion mark worldwide by the end of 2013 (statista, 2013). Today, more than one third of world’s population and more than 40 percent of Germany’s population own a smartphone (GS1, 2013, 5, statista, 2013).
Mobile phones and other mobiles are becoming part of our everyday life and are changing the way people manage it. They are the most used daily consumer good in the world and by this are becoming personal assistants that give users an always-connected and always-on lifestyle – a mobile lifestyle. Users are able to do everything from everywhere at any time with it: from doing business, communicating or playing interactive games to shopping.
The increasing number of mobile devices and by this the anywhere accessibility of the Internet have an impact on the consumers’ behavior in stationary stores. Customers do price checks with their smartphone, watching product videos or reading product reviews in the store and more often buy the desired product elsewhere. Retailers face the challenge of understanding how customers interact with their mobiles while shopping and take advantage of any opportunities to increase customer conversion and gain loyal customers (comscore, 2012).
Customers expect mobile offerings. Today some retailers already respond on these demand and development, and try with new possibilities of mobile marketing to bring customers back from digital world into their stores (KPMG, 2012, 38), but they have to add value to all their offering and products and even to new technological possibilities like mobile services, which do not automatically generate advantages over competition (Rudolph/Emrich, 2008, 266).
Mobile services in retail are services, that can be used independently of temporal and spatial restraints, and that are accessed through a mobile device in retail environment like i.e. mobile couponing receiving or paying with mobile phone. When launching such a service the retailer has to be sure whether a mobile service has the power to influence customer satisfaction inside the store. Customer satisfaction is the important connection between activities of the retailer and the resulting behaviour like repeat purchasing, cross selling, recommendation or complaint and by this relevant for economical success of a company (Homburg, 2008, 19).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- 1 Introduction
- 1.1 Objective
- 1.2 Approach and methodology
- 2 Change in retail environment
- 2.1 Megatrends, technological developments and changing behaviour of the customer
- 2.2 Mobile device
- 3 The mobile environment
- 3.1 Mobile context
- 3.1.1 E-business and e-commerce
- 3.1.2 Mobility, m-business and m-commerce
- 3.2 Characteristics of mobile economy
- 3.2.1 Ubiquity - the 'anywhere'-feature
- 3.2.2 Reachability ('always on'-feature) and immediacy (the ‘anytime'-feature)
- 3.2.3 Context sensitivity - Localization
- 3.2.4 Personalization and identification
- 3.2.5 Pro-active functionality and interactivity
- 3.3 Mobile Marketing
- 3.3.1 Permission marketing
- 3.3.2 Push communication
- 3.3.3 Pull communication
- 3.4 Mobile services
- 3.4.1 Customer Value
- 3.4.2 Value added service = mobile service
- 3.4.3 Classifying mobile services
- 3.1 Mobile context
- 4 Customer satisfaction
- 4.1 Definition of customer satisfaction
- 4.2 Confirmation/disconformation theory
- 4.3 Emergence and effects of customer satisfaction
- 4.4 Multi-factor approach
- 5 Success Factors and of mobile services in retail
- 5.1 Customer related
- 5.1.1 Security / Trust
- 5.1.2 Availability of technology
- 5.1.3 Convenience
- 5.1.4 Individualization and Personalization
- 5.1.5 Social connection
- 5.2 Technological related factors
- 5.2.1 Usability and simplicity
- 5.2.2 Context and experience
- 5.2.3 Effectiveness and Efficiency
- 5.2.4 Entertainment and rewarding mechanisms
- 5.2.5 Cost of usage
- 5.3 Environmental Factors
- 5.3.1 Legal regulations
- 5.3.2 Social-cultural factors
- 5.1 Customer related
- 6 Analysis of mobile services in retail
- 6.1 Technological situation in retail
- 6.2 Customer readyness and development
- 6.3 Functionality and evaluation of important services
- 6.4 Mobile Internet in retail: information, price check and social connection
- 6.4.1 Examples of mobile Internet in retail
- 6.4.2 Mobile Internet in retail and customer satisfaction
- 6.5 Mobile messaging in retail: mobile couponing
- 6.5.1 Examples of mobile couponing
- 6.5.2 Mobile couponing and customer satisfaction
- 6.6 Mobile tagging in retail: extended packaging and augmented reality
- 6.6.1 Examples of extended Packaging
- 6.6.2 Extended packaging and customer satisfaction
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis investigates the impact of mobile services on customer satisfaction within a retail environment. It aims to identify which mobile services are offered in stores, determine the success factors for implementing these services, assess customer awareness and usage of existing services, and evaluate their added value and influence on customer satisfaction. The study uses both secondary and primary research methods, including an online survey.
- The influence of mobile services on customer satisfaction in retail.
- The success factors for implementing mobile services in retail settings.
- Customer awareness and usage of existing mobile services in retail.
- The added value provided by mobile services to customers.
- Types and classification of mobile services in retail.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of mobile services in retail and their impact on customer satisfaction. It outlines the research objectives and the methodology employed in the study, setting the stage for a comprehensive investigation into the interplay between mobile technology, customer behavior, and retail success.
2 Change in retail environment: This chapter examines the significant shifts occurring in the retail landscape, focusing on megatrends, technological advancements, and the evolving behavior of consumers. It explores how these changes create both challenges and opportunities for retailers in adapting to the mobile-first world.
3 The mobile environment: This chapter provides a detailed analysis of the mobile environment, encompassing e-business, m-commerce, the characteristics of the mobile economy (ubiquity, reachability, context sensitivity, personalization), and different mobile marketing strategies (permission, push, and pull communication).
4 Customer satisfaction: This chapter delves into the crucial concept of customer satisfaction, providing its definition, exploring the confirmation/disconfirmation theory, and examining its emergence and effects on customer behavior. It also analyzes a multi-factor approach to understanding customer satisfaction.
5 Success Factors and of mobile services in retail: This chapter identifies key success factors for implementing mobile services in retail, categorized into customer-related (security, convenience, personalization), technological-related (usability, context, efficiency), and environmental factors (legal regulations, socio-cultural influences). It lays the foundation for understanding what makes a mobile service successful.
6 Analysis of mobile services in retail: This chapter presents an in-depth analysis of mobile services in retail, examining the technological landscape, customer readiness, the functionality and evaluation of various services (mobile internet, mobile messaging, and mobile tagging). It also explores how each service contributes to or impacts customer satisfaction.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Mobile services, retail, customer satisfaction, mobile marketing, m-commerce, customer loyalty, success factors, mobile couponing, augmented reality, technological adoption, user experience.
Frequently Asked Questions: Mobile Services in Retail and Customer Satisfaction
What is the main topic of this text?
This text is a comprehensive preview of a thesis investigating the impact of mobile services on customer satisfaction within a retail environment. It explores how various mobile services influence customer experience and identifies key success factors for their implementation.
What are the key objectives of the research?
The research aims to: identify mobile services offered in retail stores; determine the success factors for implementing these services; assess customer awareness and usage of existing services; evaluate the added value and influence of mobile services on customer satisfaction; and classify types of mobile services in retail.
What themes are covered in the thesis?
The thesis covers the changing retail environment, megatrends and technological developments, the characteristics of the mobile economy (ubiquity, reachability, personalization), mobile marketing strategies (permission, push, pull), customer satisfaction theories, success factors for mobile service implementation (customer-related, technological-related, environmental), and an analysis of specific mobile services in retail (mobile internet, mobile messaging, mobile tagging).
What are the different types of mobile services analyzed?
The thesis analyzes three main types of mobile services in retail: Mobile Internet (information access, price comparison, social connection); Mobile Messaging (mobile couponing); and Mobile Tagging (extended packaging, augmented reality).
What are the key success factors for implementing mobile services in retail?
Success factors are categorized into three groups: Customer-related (security, trust, convenience, personalization, social connection); Technological-related (usability, context, effectiveness, efficiency, entertainment, cost); and Environmental factors (legal regulations, socio-cultural factors).
How does the thesis assess customer satisfaction related to mobile services?
The thesis examines customer satisfaction through the lens of the confirmation/disconfirmation theory and a multi-factor approach. It analyzes the impact of specific mobile services (mobile internet, messaging, tagging) on customer satisfaction.
What research methods are used in the study?
The study employs both secondary and primary research methods, including an online survey.
What is the structure of the thesis?
The thesis is structured with an executive summary, table of contents, introduction outlining objectives and methodology, chapters detailing the changing retail environment, the mobile environment, customer satisfaction, success factors, and an analysis of specific mobile services in retail, concluding with keywords.
What are some examples of mobile services discussed in the thesis?
Examples include mobile internet for price checks and social interaction, mobile couponing via messaging, and augmented reality through mobile tagging of product packaging.
Where can I find more details about this research?
The provided text is a preview. The complete thesis would contain the full analysis and findings.
- Quote paper
- Joern Toellner (Author), 2014, Mobile services in retail and their influence on customer satisfaction, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/271547
