Tablets Computers Evolve Into Powerful Shopping Tool

Retailers are taking notice of consumers’ willingness to embrace tablets for shopping and are responding by providing rich shopping experiences, according to new research from eMarketer.

“The iPad ’s portability, tactile screen and vivid graphics foster a casual and exploratory shopping experience that leads to product discovery, impulse buying and shared purchasing,” said Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer principal analyst and author of the new report, “How the iPad Is Transforming Retail.”
eMarketer reference research from Vision Critical, a Vancouver-based research and technology firm, found that 41 percent of consumers likely to purchase an iPad cited shopping as a reason for their interest.

Retailers are paying rapt attention.

“Savvy retailers are creating iPad shopping experiences that deepen their connections with customers,” said Grau. “The iPad is like a companion. There is also a certain sense of intimacy in curling up on a couch with the device. It inspires a serendipitous shopping experience, somewhat akin to browsing a catalog.”
The full report, “How the iPad Is Transforming Retail,” is available from eMarketer.com.

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