Some interesting insights from a USA Mobile Audience Insights Report into usage and attitudes concerning instore wi-fi carried out by JiWire. Data comes from a survey of more than 1,400 randomly selected customers across 315,000 USA public wi-fi networks. The report is based on data collected from Nov ‘12 through Dec ‘12. . Key highlights include: The top 4 activities shoppers use their mobile devices for while in a store are  : 1. price comparison 2. find and read product reviews 3. find coupons and offers 4. access the stores website Women are using mobile in stores significantly more than men  Consumers are most likely to use their mobile device for shopping while in an electronic store (44%) - almost twice as many as the next category which is surprisingly clothing (26%), which is significantly ahead of big box retailers and restaurants - both 14% 80% of mobile consumers are influenced by the availability of in-store wi-fi when deciding where to ...

A number of retailers already offer their customers free instore wi-fi. Tesco, Debenhams, HMV and John Lewis are among the early pioneers. Others seem certain to follow. Why are retailers doing this ? It enables them to provide mobile based services in-store to better serve customers (eg ipads for queue busting or extended product ranging) but the key reason is that its something that customers want and increasingly expect. Not to provide wi-fi risks being competitively disadvantaged and used well can grow customer engagement, sales and profits. An in-store wi-fi platform generates "big data" and a rich source of customer insight. The platform operator can see every session on every connected phone or tablet. It enables retailers to know who is in the store, when and where; how frequently they are visiting and how long they are spending there. Linking to the retailer's loyalty or CRM programme enables understanding of browsing and conversion. R...

Good article from Mckinsey on how winning CPG's will be need marketeers who "get" IT and vice versa. Both will need to "get" the power of data. We see an opportunity for CPGs to create competitive advantage by joining up their retailer, shopper and consumer data and using it to drive "Perfect Store" outcomes. We think the key barriers are not technical but organisational  Retailer, Shopper and Consumer tend to be managed in differing silos. Joining them up will require organisational change led by leaders who have the right vision and a rare blend of multi functional skills. http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Winning_with_IT_in_consumer_packaged_goods_Seven_trends_transforming_the_role_of_the_CIO_3065