Capture retail interest through apps, promotions before a holiday

Criteo has seen a significant shift from websites to apps for online shopping. The company observed a 25% drop in web traffic but a 4% uplift in app traffic, with highest increases observed in Thailand (18%) and Singapore (9%).

- Absolute app traffic volume saw an increase in all Southeast Asian countries, with Singapore (207%) and Indonesia (128%) in the lead.

- In terms of year-on-year growth (baseline: October 2020), Thailand and Singapore saw the highest increases in indexed sales in the app environment, of 12% and 10% respectively.

Chinese New Year also saw an uplift for retail. Criteo said Thailand and Singapore experienced the highest increase in absolute sales volume, of 110% and 86% respectively, and that there were consistent upward surges in retail sales across Southeast Asia.

Criteo recommends that retailers ramp up on promotions and explore new ways of engagement with consumers 20 to five days before Chinese New Year, as well as from the 3rd day of the festive event, as there is a lull during the holiday itself. The company suggests considering mobile apps as a channel, and livestreams as well as time-sensitive promotions as possible promotions.

*Statistics from sales/traffic data via 71 retailers across six markets in Southeast Asia, with 260 billion visits and 3 million transactions analysed by Criteo.

Look to Double Days for retail boosts: Criteo

- “Double Days” are growing into sales events of their own – during the most recent 9.9 (9th September) sale saw substantial growth in retail sales in Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, of 213%, 183% and 156% respectively.

- Singles’ Day 2019 (11th November) saw a 414% increase in online retail sales and 273% increase in online retail traffic across Southeast Asia. In Singapore, online retail sales and traffic increased significantly, by 477% and 126% respectively.

- In Indonesia, 12.12 (12th December) remained the largest shopping moment within the country (Online retail sales and traffic increases of 258% and 77%)

Criteo, the advertising platform for the open Internet, has unveiled seasonal data for trending shopping festivals for Southeast Asia. In Singapore, Singles’ Day was revealed to be the biggest shopping event of the year in 2019. According to Criteo’s Seasonal Sales Dashboard, which recorded over 2 billion transactions across 5,000 retailers from 35 markets, Criteo found that Singles’ Day 2019 saw a 414% increase in online retail sales and 273% increase in online retail traffic across Southeast Asia. In Singapore, online retail sales and traffic increased significantly, by 477% and 126% respectively.

Singles’ Day, once again, had the highest conversion rate, with an increase of 155% in Singapore, and strong year on year growth of 49% from 2018.

“Singles’ Day continues to be a key retail moment for our region. Specifically, in Singapore, where we continue to see new records in online retail sales and retail traffic on this date, every year,” said Taranjeet Singh, MD, South East Asia and India at Criteo.

“In light of today’s evolving landscape and developments as result of the current pandemic, retailers need to seize the opportunity of Singles’ Day 2020 to succeed with customers and drive strong sales.”

Across Southeast Asia, Singles’ Day remained the largest shopping event in countries including Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. In Indonesia, 12.12 remained the largest shopping moment within the country.

Southeast Asia

- 10.10 (10th October): Online retail sales and traffic increased by 24% and 10%

- Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving): Online retail sales and traffic increases of 44% and 20%

- Cyber Monday (the Monday after Black Friday): Online retail sales and traffic increases of 42% and 25%

Indonesia: 12.12 was the winning shopping festival, followed by Singles’ Day:

- 10.10: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 158% and 40%

- Singles’ Day: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 149% and 60%

- 12.12: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 258% and 77%

Taiwan: Singles’ Day was the largest shopping moment, followed by 12.12 and Black Friday:

- Singles’ Day: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 400% and 165%

- Black Friday: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 59% and 49%

- 12.12: Online retail sales and traffic increases of 149% and 61%

Criteo data also revealed that “Double Days” are growing into sales events of their own. In Malaysia and Vietnam for example, 7.7 (7th July) turned out to be an emerging sales peak this year, with increased retail sales by 132% and 64% in the two countries, respectively.

Most recently this year, substantial growth was recorded in retail sales in September, during 9.9, particularly in Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, of 213%, 183% and 156% respectively. In October, during 10.10, the Southeast Asia region recorded an overall 46% increase in sales when compared to the last two weeks of September, and saw a conversion rate of 460% during the retail moment.

Criteo also noted that shopping apps continue to grow in popularity amongst users in Southeast Asia. According to Criteo’s Peak to Recovery study, which surveyed over 13,000 consumers worldwide in May 2020, 53% of consumers discovered at least one form of online shopping during the peak of the pandemic – be it purchasing through mobile apps, or picking up online purchases in stores – that they wish to continue.

“The unique circumstances of navigating COVID-19 have resulted in evolving consumer behaviour with regards to online shopping. Not only are people shopping more, they are also more inclined to using apps for retail,” explained Singh.

“In Q3 2020, our data revealed that the share of app sales was 75% for retailers with a shopping app and that Southeast Asia was one of the regions with the highest app share globally. With shoppers now inclined toward in-app retail experiences, retailers should step up efforts to engage consumers through these mediums during key retail moments like Singles’ Day for maximum traction.”

Jo Bjordal, CMO, ZALORA explained, "COVID-19 has changed shopping behaviour across our markets, with more people shifting to buying things online. The demand and consumption patterns for product categories have changed dramatically too.”

When it came to key changes in retail preferences, Bjordal elaborated on spikes in consumer demand that fashion e-tailer ZALORA has seen in the last recent months, even during the last Double Day, 10.10. “Within the lifestyle segment, we have seen a spike in demand towards the loungewear, beauty, kids, as well as continued growth in sports and wellness categories. In fact, these categories at ZALORA have grown by as much as 400% as seen in this year’s 10.10 sales days, as people continue to prioritise personal wellbeing and spend more time at home. On the other hand, demand for women’s apparel and occasion wear products has declined as compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, although this is expected to pick up again once the situation around COVID-19 stabilises, and countries gradually ease into their respective re-openings,” he said.

Criteo said brands should keep in mind the following best practices to drive maximum traction with customers as they get ready for Singles’ Day this year:

Target the most valuable audiences

Through website and campaign optimisation, brands can be assured of a wider reach from new and existing customers. This includes finding new, interested shoppers and re-engaging existing customers through data and insights.

Maximising customer value

Customers are looking to get the most value from their purchases, so it is key to ensure that this is communicated to customers, and brands look for unique ways to differentiate their offerings, apart from providing substantial discounts in cost. This could include unique and practical customer services, including safer store shopping options and online-meets-offline purchasing to address customer concerns during the pandemic.

Enhancing ad relevance

It is not enough for brands to advertise Singles’ Day deals – they need to ensure that ads are served in the right context and with the relevant content to their specific audience. This means considering the timing at which ads are served, preferably at a time when a consumer is likely to make a purchase.

Sales for Ramadhan peak two weeks before Raya

Source: Criteo Ramadan 2018 report.
Ramadhan graphic.

- The peak shopping period for Ramadhan 2017 was about two weeks before Eid al-Fitr

- Health/beauty and electronics categories saw the biggest sales uplift in Singapore, whereas Southeast Asia (SEA) saw the biggest sales uplift from health/beauty and toys/games. 

- More retail shoppers in SEA are shopping on mobile

Criteo, the commerce marketing technology company, has released seasonal data for Ramadhan from 2017 to help commerce providers better engage shoppers in anticipation of the festive season. According to the company, retailers should intensify their advertising campaign efforts during specific periods in Ramadhan to gain early visibility, increase engagement with shoppers and enhance sales.

The analysis revealed strong online sales in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region in the lead up to and during Ramadhan, which took place from 26 May to 24 June in 2017. Ramadhan 2018 begins 17 May, and ends 14 June. In 2017 online retail sales were at its peak on 8 June, about two weeks before Eid al-Fitr 2017 (25 June). Eid is on 15 June for 2018. 

A maximum of 52% increase in online retail sales was observed during this period in 2017, indicating exactly when shoppers are more compelled to spend for the season. Online travel sales also saw a gradual rise during Ramadhan, with the biggest uplift seen two days after Eid al-Fitr – a 14% uplift.

The top performing sub-verticals in the SEA region, based on uplifts in sales are:

- Toys and games – 62% (Singapore: 98%)

- Health and beauty – 53%(Singapore: 143%)

- Electronics – 42% (Singapore: 99%)

- Home and living – 42% (Singapore: 91%)

The trend is similar elsewhere. Shoppers in the Middle East typically shop a couple of weeks before Ramadhan begins as well, Criteo said. This trend continues to escalate during Ramadjan, where the highest uplift in sales was observed one to two weeks before Eid al-Fitr. 

Consumer electronics, fashion, and food and travel lead the way as the strongest performing sub-verticals, but more people are also shopping online for home and living goods, health and beauty products, and groceries. A difference between the region and SEA was that travel sales saw a surge in the last week of Ramadhan as many in the Middle East tend to travel during Eid al-Fitr, which also corresponds with three-month summer holidays in the region.

“The global halal industry is projected to surpass US$1 trillion in size by 2030*. Given that Ramadhan is a key festival in the region, SEA is set to contribute significantly to this market growth. We are seeing a rise in variety and awareness of halal products amongst Muslim and non-Muslim shoppers. Retailers can stand out by bidding more aggressively at the right time to boost online engagement and transactions,” said Alban Villani, GM, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Criteo.

Criteo’s findings also highlighted the need for retailers to optimise their mobile apps and sites for increased retail sales and travel bookings during Ramadhan. More retail shoppers in SEA are shopping on mobile, as seen by the maximum uplift of mobile apps at 64% (Singapore: 61%) and 52% (Singapore: 46%) on the mobile web. Travel sales are no exception, with SEA noting a 28% maximum uplift in sales for mobile apps three days after Eid-al-Fitr and the mobile web four days after Eid-al-Fitr respectively. 

For Singapore, the maximum uplift in sales for mobile apps was close to three weeks after Eid-al-Fitr at 20%, while maximum uplift in mobile web occurred slightly over two weeks after Eid-al-Fitr at 33%.

“Millennials are a rising demographic within the Islamic community*. They are tech-savvy and use social media to regularly connect with their favourite brands. With Millennials having a greater inclination towards discovering new online products and purchasing them during Ramadhan, this season presents retailers with a key opportunity to engage both first-time and existing buyers. This sets the platform for further engagement beyond the Ramadhan season, through our commerce marketing technology, to sustain brand loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. Our findings reinforce that mobile is an imperative channel for retailers to effectively reach out to Millennials,” said Villani.

Criteo’s findings were derived through an analysis of more than 44 million retail shopping transactions and more than 28 million travel sales transactions on desktops and mobile devices from 57 major advertisers across the SEA region.

Explore:

Read the Criteo report for Ramadhan in SEA 2018

*State of the Global Islamic Economy 2017/18, Thomson Reuters

Criteo quantifies the Singaporean love of travel

+Mobile travel purchase increased 35% from 2011 to 2016, and is expected to continue growing fast

+Respondents browsed travel products online because of accessibility (74%) and convenience (69%)

+Eight in 10 (78%) choose to browse on smartphones instead of desktops/laptops because they can do so on-the-go

Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, has found that mobile travel sales will continue to grow and present the biggest growth opportunity. The findings are from a Criteo-commissioned study* by Euromonitor International, which surveyed 150 Singaporeans to analyse the online travel landscape, as well as browsing and purchase behaviours in Singapore to help travel businesses and online travel agents (OTAs) identify and adopt digital strategies to engage travellers throughout their purchase journey.

The research revealed that travel remains an area that Singaporeans are devoted to – in 2016, Singaporeans took 21.9 million outbound trips, and expenditure on leisure and recreation is expected to have a CAGR of 3.2% from 2017 to 2020. Online travel sales have grown at 7.1% CAGR in the period 2011 to 2016, and totalled S$6 billion in 2016. Mobile travel sales have accelerated, outpacing the growth of online travel sales and will see 19.6% CAGR from 2017 to 2020.

“Singaporeans are tech savvy travellers who are browsing seamlessly across multiple devices to find the best deal before making their purchase. Travel websites and OTAs need to focus on providing a mobile experience that is user-friendly, easy to navigate, has add-on features and secure payment methods. To drive transactions, they need to engage with shoppers during the discovery, search and booking phases,” said Alban Villani, GM, Criteo Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

While browsing online, all shoppers used a combination of OTAs, the vendors’ own website or app and online travel price aggregators. Across all age groups, laptops are the most preferred device for online browsing of travel products and services with this method chosen by 42%, of respondents, followed by smartphones at 33% and desktops at 18%. Of those who choose to browse with their smartphones instead of laptops/desktops, over half say it is more convenient, and 78% said it was because smartphones allowed them to do so on-the-go. Other key online booking habits include:

Laptops are also the preferred device used for booking, with half of all online travel sales made on laptops, compared with 21% on smartphones and 23% on desktops.

Most shoppers still choose to book with laptops as they “prefer to use a larger screen when making purchases” (57%) and “typing a lot of personal information is difficult on a small screen” (43%).

The key drivers for booking via smartphones is being able to book anywhere (58%) and being more convenient than laptops/desktops (33%).

According to Criteo’s commissioned research, Singaporeans took an average of 5.2 trips in the last 12 months, with 63% taking five trips or fewer; almost half were mid-length stays of between three to six days. Over half (52%) of Singaporeans booked their trip between one and four months before departure, and are most likely to do so while at home (79%) on a weekend, although they would already have browsed on weekdays (56%). Other key findings on factors that affect their purchase include:

The biggest driver for online booking is convenience - 88% chose a combination of factors such as time-saving (54%) and being more convenient than a phone or physical booking (54%).

Price also plays a big part in the shift towards online travel purchases, with 44% of respondents believing that online travel providers and OTAs offer a better deal.

Half of all online travel purchases are for accommodation and air travel.
When purchasing online, Singaporeans are most likely to directly book via websites or apps of the airlines and/or lodging (52%) as it would be easier to change or cancel their booking (47%).
They also make direct purchases through OTAs (37%), as they say the website is easy to use (45%).

Online and mobile strategies are crucial for retailers and OTAs to engage with shoppers while they browse and book travel and ancillaries – 85% of shoppers have seen retargeted ads and 52% have clicked on them.

“As online and mobile purchases become more commonplace, travel businesses and OTAs need to invest more in personalised marketing. This means showing shoppers ads that are based on what they have been looking at and displaying recommendations that may complement what they have already purchased. This adds another element of discovery and up to 70% of online shoppers who are served ads in this way go on to view products they had not looked at previously. Retailers who get this right will be able to drive online conversions very effectively,” added Villani.

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post on travel preferences in the Asia Pacific region

*The research process for this study utilises a top-down central research model with bottom-up intelligence to present a comprehensive and accurate picture of the macro-economic landscape and travel industry in Australia, mainland China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. Both secondary research and primary research are employed in this study. The former includes desk research on publicly available information (such as official statistics, trade press); whilst the latter includes online consumer survey and trade interview discussions with stakeholders in the industry (such as travel agencies, trade associations). Trade data and information collected, where applicable, is validated and cross-checked through both primary and secondary research, with no reliance on any single source to ensure reliability and eliminate bias. The consumer survey was conducted in February 2017 across all 9 markets.

posted from Bloggeroid

Criteo breaks down Ramadhan 2016 shopping behaviour in SEA

+Online sales and website traffic start increasing three weeks before Ramadhan in Southeast Asia (SEA)

+E-commerce sales spiked by 110% during the third week of Ramadhan

+Shoppers spend less time browsing and shopping online during sunset

+Mobile continues to be a key driver for discovery and sales with an increase of 126% during Ramadhan

Source: Criteo infographic. Fashion sells best during Ramadhan.

Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, has released seasonal data to help e-commerce businesses better engage consumers during the festive season.

It revealed that online sales and traffic increased in the lead up to and during Ramadhan, but declined during Eid el-Fitr (Hari Raya), the holiday that marks the end of Ramadhan. Based on consumers’ online browsing and buying activity, the three weeks leading up to Ramadhan, and also the third week of Ramadhan represent the biggest opportunity for retailers to engage consumers when they are actively browsing and purchasing items for upcoming celebrations. During this period, there was an average of 67% uplift in online retail sales and 14% uplift in online travel sales.

Criteo’s data also revealed that Ramadhan traditions influence shoppers’ behaviour throughout the day. To engage with shoppers, retailers need to know when they are most active online. During the fasting period between sunrise and sunset, e-commerce transactions were lower at 71%, compared to 76% for the period prior to Ramadhan. However, after breaking fast, there is an increase in e-commerce sales to 29%, from 24% pre-Ramadhan, representing a timely opportunity for retailers to reach out to shoppers.

Understanding how and what shoppers are buying is also crucial. With 37% of onsite retail conversions happening on the mobile app, retailers need to be investing beyond just a mobile-friendly site to an intuitive app. Fashion-related items are the most popular during this period, followed by home and living products and electronics, toys and games.

“Ramadhan is an important festive season in this region. Rapidly rising disposable incomes, a growing appetite for modest fashion, halal products and services mean that retailers need to enlist smart solutions to engage shoppers across all touchpoints and deliver the most impactful content at every point in the customer journey. As shoppers spend time with their friends and families after sundown and on Eid, they are less likely to browse and shop online. Retailers must pick the right time of the week and time of day to increase their digital marketing efforts, so they can achieve an uptick in online transactions,” said Alban Villani, GM, Southeast Asia, Criteo.

Criteo analysed more than 8 million online transactions from 143 retailers based in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Other key findings from the report include:

+Website traffic and e-commerce sales increased from three weeks before Ramadhan and spiked during weeks three and four, with an increase of 110% and 77% respectively.

+During the start of Eid el-Fitr, there was a decline of 44% in online sales and 20% in website traffic. However, in the week post-Eid, online sales rebounded, increasing 35%.

+During weeks three and four of Ramadan, online mass merchants were the biggest growth driver – with an increase of 87% and 52% respectively.

+The cross-device journey was evident – 46% of shoppers were found to be viewing products across multiple devices, with one in four shoppers switching devices at least three times during their purchasing journey.

“In addition, retailers need to embrace omni-channel marketing – as we continue to see the rise of offline-to-online and online-to-offline (O2O) shopping habits. Our data shows that during the period of Ramadhan, shoppers are browsing in stores and purchasing online, and vice-versa. However, whichever way you look, mobile will still be the foundational building block and key driver in O2O retail. Half of the retail transactions in Southeast Asia are already taking place on mobile,” said Villani.

Ramadhan 2017 will begin around May 25, 2017. The date varies in different countries depending on the sighting of the moon.

Interested?

Download the infographic on Ramadhan 2016

Criteo study uncovers evolving shopping practices in Singapore

· Singapore consumers are using multiple devices in the retail journey

· Brick-and-mortar retailers must respond to the local showrooming phenomenon and invest in multichannel integration

· Improving last-mile fulfilment will help local retailers compete more effectively with international e-commerce players


Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, has found that shopping patterns are changing among consumers in Singapore. Singaporeans now own or have access to an average of 4.72 devices, the research by Edelman Intelligence has found.

Source: Criteo. Profiling the mobile shopper in Singapore.

With three-quarters using these devices to purchase online at least once a month, cross-device usage, ‘showrooming’ and last-mile fulfilment are the three critical areas retailers must address. Showrooming refers to consumers treating a physical store as a showroom, trying on clothing or checking how an item looks and works in real life, before ordering the same item online.

Retailers which can successfully integrate the mobile web, apps and in-app targeting into their business operations and engagement strategies will set the stage for the seamless adoption of newer mobile technologies or add-ons, when required, Criteo said.
The research found:

· Six in 10 Singaporeans consider mobile devices to be their favourite shopping companion, with 95% having used their smartphones or tablets to browse online catalogues in the past month.

· More than half (54%) of consumers indicated that having the option to shop on their mobile devices has caused them to spend more than ever before, with four in five admitting to purchasing online on impulse.

· Travel-related products and apparel are the most popular online purchases, with each shopper purchasing across an average of 5.43 product categories.

· With nearly half of Singaporeans shopping on branded mobile apps at least once a week, and mobile shoppers likely to be heavy social media users in general, retailers must also become familiar with application-based advertising and messaging.

“Singapore is a truly cross-device market, where most consumers – especially Millennials – are using a combination of devices to shop. While a number still rely on PCs to make payments, mobile devices are always by our side as the one consistent factor in all elements of online and offline shopping,” said Alban Villani, Commercial Director, Southeast Asia, Criteo. “This reinforces what we’ve been telling retailers for some time – they can no longer target individuals on just one device. Rather, they will need to embrace technologies that deliver contextual creative experiences and messaging, to respond to individuals’ needs and desires in the moment, wherever they are and however they’re feeling.”

In Singapore, the high incidence of showrooming reinforces the importance of multichannel integration:

· To avoid crowds and queues, almost two-thirds of Singaporeans prefer to shop online during periods like the Great Singapore Sale.

· Half of local consumers also believe online deals during the Great Singapore Sale are better than in-store promotions.

· Even when visiting a physical store, six in 10 local shoppers are browsing similar products online and comparing prices to ensure they get the best deals.

· Seven in 10 (69%) consumers end up purchasing the same product or service online rather than offline.

· Physical stores still have an edge in engaging consumers who desire to touch or trial a product prior to purchase. However, this advantage is eroding as seven in 10 Singaporeans agree that augmented reality also allows them to ‘try’ an item and online players respond by adopting the technology to simulate real-world experiences.

“A few established online players are already using physical pop-up stores with exclusive collections and discounts to create a seamless online-to-offline customer experience. Conversely, physical retailers looking to retain and convert customers must start integrating online channels, especially mobile optimised sites or branded apps, and consider customer relationship management (CRM) data optimisation, to better engage customers before, during and after store visits,” said Villani.

To compete more effectively against international retailers, same-day or next-day order fulfilment should be a big focus for local retailers, who can work with specialised local last-mile delivery service providers.

· Singaporeans shop on both local and international sites. Seventy-eight percent buy from local sites because of delivery considerations – faster or cheaper domestic shipping and easier pickup of a locally-purchased product.

· Six in 10 would rather have their purchases delivered than collect them from a physical store.

“The research findings are pointing us to a future where offline and online shopping are no longer two separate business models. There will just be ‘shopping’ and it will be an integrated experience. If retailers turn to mobile as the chief enabler and successfully deliver such experiences, they will inevitably demand smaller stores as fulfilment gets facilitated directly from warehouses. Be it by offering better connectivity or relooking how retail space is allocated, local malls must also adjust to this new wave of change,” said Villani.

Interested?

Browse the full Criteo-commissioned Edelman Intelligence 2H16 research findings and analysis (PDF)

Brands optimising apps for mobile see more sales

Source: Criteo website, Q3 2015 State Of Mobile Commerce report

Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, has released its Q3 2015 State of Mobile Commerce report. This quarterly analysis of industry-wide trends arms marketers with essential mobile commerce intelligence for engaging consumers and boosting sales. Criteo’s comprehensive analysis of 1.4 billion online transactions reveals that 50% of purchases worldwide, now involve multiple devices throughout the consumer buying journey.

Southeast Asia also ranked high on the list, with a 45% conversion rate to sales from their mobile devices, up from 27% in the previous quarter. More than half (54%) of the traffic was also generated from mobile devices. Indonesia topped the list in Southeast Asia, with a 56% conversion to sales.

Criteo’s research shows that early investment in apps is also generating significant payback for e-commerce companies that prioritised this platform. In the retail category, brands that make their app experience a priority generate nearly 60% of mobile revenue from the app, up from 50% in Q2, and heavily outperforming desktops. For travel brands that make their apps a priority, about 50% of mobile revenue comes from the app.

“We continue to see the rise of mobile commerce in a cross-device world. Advertising strategies now need to include mobile at the centre if companies want to engage today’s savvy consumer. Marketers need to pay close attention to the consumer’s purchasing journey if they want to attract buyers and maximise sales,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo.

“Southeast Asia continues to be one of our fastest growing regions for e- and m-commerce,” said Yuko Saito, Managing Director, Criteo Southeast Asia. “Southeast Asia now ranks much higher above the global average of 35%, and sits in the same company as advanced mobile countries like Japan and the UK.”

“It is clear that customers are now extremely savvy and are open to browsing and buying on their mobile devices, and this is not just limited to mature markets. Mobile optimisation is now a must-have, not nice-to-have for brands, and we see apps as the next growth driver and a key area of focus for marketers,” said Saito.

Consumers are browsing and buying on all devices—laptops, tablets and smartphones. For brands to succeed, they need to invest in mobile and allocate digital spend strategically:

· For purchases completed on laptops and desktops, 39% of buyers use at least one additional device during the shopping process.

· On mobile, 43% of smartphone buyers and 47% of tablet buyers use an additional device.

· Cross-device purchasers are 20% more likely to use their mobile device to complete a transaction.

Ensuring that the app experience is seamless, intuitive and engaging is central to boosting engagement and conversions:

· For retailers who have prioritised their app experience, 58% of all mobile revenue is generated through the app; travel is at 49%.

· Apps convert at a rate of 3.7 times higher than mobile browsers and two times more than desktop in terms of adding to basket and buying.

Consumers are choosing smartphones as the preferred shopping device more frequently. While all devices and channels should be optimised, smartphones are a key vehicle for brands:

· Smartphones generate 56% of mobile transactions and drive 64% of mobile purchases for top quartile retailers.

· Smartphone conversion rate is two times better for top quartile retailers than average retailers.

Mobile commerce activity is growing worldwide with Japan and South Korea seeing some of the highest volumes of e-commerce transactions. Global brands need to be tuned into how different consumer segments behave in order to deliver the best cross-device and mobile experiences:

· Mobile commerce now represents 35% of e-commerce transactions globally. Mobile transactions in Southeast Asia now account for 45% of all e-commerce transactions (up from 27% in the previous quarter), with Indonesia at 56%, and Taiwan at 38%. 

· Cross-device purchasing is represented by 50% of e-commerce transactions worldwide.

Interested?

Download the Criteo Q3 2015 State Of Mobile Commerce report

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on the Criteo Q2 2015 State of Mobile Commerce report

Mobile-optimised sites get more sales: Criteo

Source: Criteo website, Q2 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report.

Criteo, the performance marketing technology provider, has released its Q2 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report. The report highlights that mobile devices are now responsible for 34% of global e-commerce transactions, while m-commerce accounted for 27% of all e-commerce transactions in Southeast Asia, putting the region at a similar level to Spain and Italy, and right behind the US.

The report also reveals that globally, more than 40% of e-commerce transactions now involve multiple devices. Smartphones, desktops and tablets are used in a variety of combinations to research and make purchasing decisions.

“Consumer adoption of mobile continues to be the biggest trend in both e-commerce and advertising today, and the pace of growth is astounding,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo. “Marketers’ ability to leverage new technologies to accurately identify and reach consumers wherever they are is going to become critical, as this trend perpetuates and carries us toward a world where the majority of transactions will take place across multiple devices.”

“Southeast Asia is currently the fastest-growing region globally, with mobile being a key driver, especially in developing markets like Indonesia and India,” said Yuko Saito, Managing Director, Criteo Southeast Asia. “These developing markets are ‘mobile-first’ – most consumers will own smartphones before they own desktops, with potential for further growth as smartphone penetration continues to increase.

“For mature markets like Singapore and Taiwan, there’s a higher incidence of cross-device usage. But overall, for both developing and mature markets, mobile optimisation is crucial for e-commerce businesses looking to engage the region’s growing smartphone population.”

The findings in this report are based on Criteo’s analysis of 1.4 billion individual e-commerce transactions totalling over US$160 billion of annual sales globally. 

Additional takeaways include:

· Southeast Asia is set to follow the trends in the US – mobile-optimised sites experience more than double the conversion rate of non-optimised sites, where only 1.6% of consumers convert; mobile apps experience higher conversion rates than mobile browsers or desktops, accounting for half of mobile transactions for e-commerce players who invested in an app experience.

· Whereas mobile transactions in Southeast Asia now account for 27% of all e-commerce transactions, Indonesia stands at 34%, Taiwan at 31% and Singapore at 29%. More than half of all online sales in Japan and South Korea come from people who buy via mobile devices. Globally, mobile transactions are expected to reach 40% by the end of 2015. 

· Leading the charge are the fashion, luxury and travel verticals, with one in three transactions now on mobile devices.

“The customer purchase journey has become increasingly complex as consumers stop using a single device to make their purchases,” said Wolf. “Delivering engaging app experiences and connecting seamlessly with consumers across multiple devices are key to capturing e-commerce sales in this new world.”

Interested?

Download Criteo’s Q2 2015 State Of Mobile Commerce Report. 

Make advertisements mobile to capture a growing opportunity

Source: Criteo.

Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, has released its Q1 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report, highlighting that mobile devices are now responsible for more than one third of all e-commerce transactions globally. Smartphones are becoming the dominant mobile device replacing tablets. As a result, advertisers’ future success now depends on their ability to offer a compelling mobile site.

“Mobile commerce is growing like a weed,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo. “Smartphones are now (accounting for) the majority of mobile transactions, and the growth of larger screen sizes and better mobile sites is only going to accelerate this trend.”

These trends are the result of Criteo’s analysis of individual transaction-level data from more than US$160 billion of sales globally. Key takeaways include:

• By the end of 2015, mobile share of e-commerce transactions will reach 40% globally.

• Asia leads the way in smartphone purchases with close to 50% of e-commerce transactions happening on smartphones. Mobile conversion rates in Japan are more than 3.5x higher than the US.

• Increased comfort level with purchasing and larger screen sizes are credited for the increase.

• The mobile conversion funnel has arrived. Consumers now view the same number of products on both desktops and smartphones, but with lower add-to-basket and purchase rates on smartphones.

“The huge growth in mobile transactions over the past quarter shows that consumers are now very comfortable purchasing on smartphones across all categories,” said Wolf. “There really is no limit to this growth – mobile is now more than half of all e-commerce transactions in advanced markets like Japan and South Korea.”

Download Criteo’s Q1 2015 State Of Mobile Commerce report here.

Criteo says e-commerce has to be part of the retail plan

Source: Criteo website.

This quarter, Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, sees mobile take an even larger role in the e-commerce industry.

“2015 will be a dynamic year for the e-commerce industry as consumer online shopping behaviour continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The growth in time spent across multiple screens means marketers need to manage more complexity when targeting consumers,” said Eric Eichmann, President and COO, Criteo. “Advertisers who stay ahead of the curve by making sound investments in solutions like cross-device targeting and mobile-optimised websites and apps will be best positioned to meet consumer demand and generate sales.”

According to Criteo:

• Mobile devices will account for 40% of e-commerce transactions globally, and more than 50% in the developed markets.
• In 2015, the complexities around cross-device advertising will disappear with the availability of more precise exact-match methods. With cross-device advertising, retailers will be able to differentiate between existing users and new prospects and better understand their shopping behaviour across desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Enhancing cross-device capabilities will be a major focus as 58% of retail executives and ad agencies rank the technology as the most important of their 2015 mobile marketing efforts*. 
• Programmatic buying will drive rapid growth in native advertising. With programmatic buying, native ad implementation will become a lot easier. Also, publishers will be able to charge higher CPMs (cost per thousands) as native ads perform better than IAB standard ad units, especially on mobile.
• E-commerce will become ‘do or die’ for brick-and-mortar retailers in 2015 as they experience the increasing impact of shopper “webrooming” and “showrooming” behaviour. In webrooming, shoppers research online, and buy in a physical location, whereas showrooming shoppers examine the item in a physical location before buying it online.
• Retailers will put a heavy emphasis on app re-engagement as 42% of retail executives and ad agencies rank consumer engagement as the primary goal of mobile app strategies*.
• Automated ad formats will offer even greater flexibility. This technological shift will allow advertisers to effortlessly access a significantly greater part of the inventory available around the world and make it a lot easier to scale campaigns internationally. For publishers, this change is synonymous with more freedom to innovate and offer new ad formats.

Click here to download Criteo’s 2015 eCommerce Industry Outlook report.

*Criteo and Digiday Survey, July 2014

Half of all e-commerce in Asia to be via mobile: Criteo

Criteo, the performance marketing technology company, says in its Q4 2014 State of Mobile Commerce Report that mobile now accounts for more than 30% of e-commerce transactions globally.

Source: Criteo.

“There has been a significant lack of information about mobile commerce, leading many marketers to under-estimate the opportunity,” said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer at Criteo. “Our State of Mobile Commerce Report provides clarity on the global market, by drawing on our unique pool of transaction-level data covering billions of transactions. The report demonstrates that mobile is now about purchasing not just researching, and that there are huge opportunities for e-commerce businesses to capture increasing sales via mobile devices, particularly in the retail and travel industries. For Asia, we expect mobile to cross 50% of all online transactions in 2015, as mobile usage continues to skyrocket and retailers better optimise mobile sites for conversion.”

The findings in this report are based on Criteo’s analysis of individual transaction-level data from more than 3,000 e-commerce, retail and travel advertisers globally. Key takeaways include:

• Global mobile conversion rates are high, across all devices and retail categories.
• Smartphones now generate more transactions than tablets. Asia leads the way in smartphone purchases with close to 45% of e-commerce transactions happening on smartphones, and very little tablet share.
• Japan and South Korea are advanced markets for mobile shopping with over 45% of online retail transactions coming via mobile devices. In fact, Japanese e-commerce sites have mobile conversion rates that are double those in the US, and in 2015, Japan and South Korea are projected to generate more than 50% of their e-commerce transactions from mobile.
• A third of fashion transactions now come from mobile, with average order values close to desktop levels.
• Android’s share of smartphone transactions is also greater than one-third in Japan (43% for both retail and travel) and South Korea (86% for retail, 74% for travel). Top quartile retailers in Japan and South Korea generate over 65% of their e-commerce transactions from mobile, against the average of around 45% overall. 

“Consumers are more comfortable than ever making purchases from mobile devices, which makes it increasingly vital for advertisers to effectively reach them across devices,” said Wolf. “If you’re an e-commerce player and you’re not focusing on allowing mobile audiences to purchase from you, then you may not be in business in a couple of years.”

View Criteo’s Q4 2014 State Of Mobile Commerce report (Slideshare) here.

NHN Entertainment monitors mobile ad performance with Criteo's Ad-X Tracking

Criteo, which provides advertising technology, has announced that Korean online and mobile game developer and publisher NHN Entertainment has deployed its in-app measurement solution, AD-X Tracking. 

Source: Toast website. Puzzle Run.

NHN Entertainment's main game service HANGAME was started in 1999 and is known to have the largest user pool among Korean game portals. The company services more than 40 PC games across various genres, including casual, web board, role playing game (RPG), first person shooter (FPS), sports and functional games.

The company is expanding into the mobile business with a global game brand, TOAST. It has launched more than 30 mobile games so far, including Fish Island, Wooparoo Mountain, and Guardian Stone. LINE POP and LINE Dozer, launched via LINE, hit the no. 1 spot on Apple’s App Store across 11 countries.

The deployment has enhanced NHN Entertainment’s in-app advertising offerings, providing the company with data for deeper analysis and enabling it to make more informed decisions and optimise mobile advertising spend.

With AD-X Tracking, NHN Entertainment can track the results of their campaign performance on smartphones and tablets across more than 550 integrated ad networks globally. AD-X Tracking’s comprehensive attribution and user life-time-value* (LTV) solution provides marketers with intelligence about which sources deliver the most engaged and relevant users, allowing them to monitor number of clicks, installs and other in-app actions, and also access up-to-the-minute metrics regarding mobile app usage and engagement.

NHN Entertainment has used AD-X Tracking since June 2014, and is currently using the measurement solution on four gaming titles – Dragon Friends, Wooparoo Mountain, Zombie Virus and Puzzle Run – across iOS and Android platforms. The company plans to roll out AD-X Tracking on a global scale, bringing AD-X to more than 20 additional gaming applications.

*A marketing concept that estimates how much a customer will spend with a brand in the long term.

Criteo uncovers global love affair with m-commerce

Criteo, which specialises in digital performance advertising, has shared new consumer e-commerce insights in its Q1 2014 Mobile Flash report. 

Source: Criteo Mobile Flash Report.

The report, which represents the Internet browsing and shopping behaviour of the more than 920 million unique global Internet users* that Criteo’s advertisements reach, has found that mobile plays an increasingly critical role in effectively reaching consumers:

• Mobile delivers higher click-through rates (CTRs) than PCs across most industry verticals.
• Android tablets and smartphones account for 66% of total e-commerce sales globally.
• Average CTRs on Android devices are nearly two times that of PCs.
• Android devices generate more sales globally, but iOS leads in the US and Europe.

• Retail, travel, automotive and classified ads account for more than 70% of mobile clicks.
• Mobile not only substitutes, but also complements desktop usage and brings additional sales. For example, purchases coming from an iPad are 16% more likely to happen on a Sunday, while sales from a desktop drop by 10% on Sundays.
• Hotel bookings, car rentals and apparel account for the highest average purchase value on mobile devices (US$364.80, US$209.10 and US$105.30, respectively).

“Every quarter we’re analysing robust mobile data from close to a billion Internet users that we leverage to offer advertisers deeper insights that can help better shape their campaigns,” said Jason Morse, VP Mobile Product at Criteo. “We’re seeing some very exciting opportunities start to emerge for advertisers in mobile right now. The fact that mobile devices are responsible for a rapidly growing share of e-commerce sales, representing millions of dollars, makes it hard for advertisers to ignore the possibilities with mobile campaigns.”

Read Criteo’s Q1 2014 Mobile Flash report here.

*comScore, March 2014

Criteo offers three tips for sales conversions

Criteo, a digital performance display advertising player has some tips gleaned from working with travel industry partners that could help companies to turn contacts into paying customers. The tips are applicable to all industries: 

Tip #1: Acquire new users at the right time of the year
 
Travel apps are downloaded more in the summer (roughly June to September), so there’s a window of opportunity, before peak season, to reach a higher percentage of active users*.

Promote your download in sync with your customers’ planning and purchasing cycle to get the best return on new acquisitions, Criteo advises.  

Tip #2: Don’t just promote downloads: change the message based on user activity

Companies should offer alternative messages to reach different types of existing users. Companies can promote their product or service to active users or re-engage lapsed users, all during seasonal window of opportunity, Criteo suggests.

Tip #3: Reactivate your most valuable users while they are most receptive
 
Analytics can help to re-engage customers, says Criteo. By tracking registrations, sales, and sales value, companies can calculate average revenue per daily active user, their lifetime value, and ROI, then target them with relevant ads. 

*Active users = users who have opened the app at least 3 times

Deep linking gains mobile milestone

Deep links, which deliver potential customers directly to the point of purchase, maximising conversion rates for online sales, may work better than traditional search engine techniques for gaining real customers. 

A study conducted by Lotlinx, a deep-linking inventory platform for the auto industry, and released in late January 2014, found that deep-linking delivers twice as many real shoppers and twice the shopping engagement of traditional search engine marketing campaigns.

In the mobile space, Criteo,TapCommerce and ActionX have just shared a specification and best practices guide to support deep-linking within mobile applications. 

“We have seen deep linking drive significant performance improvements for our retail, travel, and media subscription clients. Guiding consumers to the most relevant section of an app from an ad is a huge marketing win, and this new standard makes it easy for app developers big and small to drive more revenue,” explains Evan Schwartz, CEO, ActionX, which provides tools that drive mobile revenue.

Source: Mobile Deeplinking Project website

The Mobile Deeplinking Project aims to provide consistent, high-quality resources to help mobile app publishers create effective, seamless cross-media user experiences and marketing campaigns. According to the Mobile Deeplinking Project, deep linking in the mobile context is a methodology for launching a native mobile application via a link, and can connect unique links to a defined action in a mobile app, seamlessly linking users to relevant content.

Criteo offers mobile solution to display advertisements within apps

Want to advertise on those smartphones and tablets that everyone has their noses glued to? Sounds easy enough, but it turns out that mobile users are spending much of their time in specific apps like email or Facebook than on the mobile web according to research firm Flurry, leading to significantly fewer opportunities for advertisers to display their ads to a target audience.

Criteo, which specialises in performance display advertising, has addressed this challenge with the beta release of a mobile in-app performance display advertising solution that could provide businesses with a cost effective, performance driven solution to engage and convert mobile users.

“According to recent studies*, mobile users spend more than 80 percent of their mobile device time in applications, while the remaining 20 percent is spent on the mobile web. The biggest challenge for our clients is uncovering an effective way to drive engagement through their mobile app after it’s already installed. 

"Criteo’s mobile solution sets itself apart from other approaches by going beyond basic audience and demographic targeting to offer a performance-based advertising solution displaying highly relevant ads to users and deep-links back to their specific product recommendation, helping drive sales and conversions," said Jonathan Wolf, Chief Product Officer, Criteo.

Criteo’s product combines real-time customer behaviour with the advertiser’s own product catalogue and creative content. Personalised, dynamic banners are generated in real-time to maximise conversions.

Rocket Internet, a Germany-headquartered incubator with offices in Asia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea and the Philippines, is a Criteo customer.

Steven Post, Head of Mobile Marketing, Rocket Internet said, “The cost of user acquisition on mobile continues to skyrocket, which is why we have a very specific and aggressive return on ad spend (ROAS) that we aim to achieve. By leveraging Criteo’s mobile in-app performance display ad solution we’re able to re-activate and engage our mobile app users with a personalised ad aimed at helping them complete their retail purchase.”

*Flurry Five-Year Report: It’s an App World. The Web Just Lives in It, Flurry Blog, April 3, 2013