Mobile Shopping Taking Off This Holiday Season Says SITO Mobile CEO

Holiday shoppers will be hitting their phones as hard as the malls this year to complete their wish lists. Gerard Hug, CEO of SITO Mobile (SITO), said retailers are targeting mobile users like never before. 'This year was really the inflection point,' said Hug. 'It’s the first time where total gross receipts were higher out of cyber-Monday versus Black Friday, so it’s definitely the time when consumers turn to their digital device to buy products.' The average shopper will shell out more than $800 this year to celebrate the holidays, including $462.95 on gifts for family members, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). The NRF also reported that almost half of holiday shopping will be done online, making mobile a critical channel for retailers to focus on. One of the largest challenges for retailers is rising above the din to reach their consumer, according to Hug. Hug said technologies that allow users to basically pinpoint the exact people and locations they want to serve their promotions to include location-based mobile ads, geo-targeting, verified walk-in and retargeting. 'Retailers are definitely beginning to shift their budgets from traditional marketing to digital, so focusing on the desktop and, in particular, mobile marketing and advertising,' said Hug. Hug’s company SITO Mobile focuses on location-based advertising, working with retailers and brands to specify their audience in real-time and driving that audience into their store.