John Lewis retains ‘top mobile retailer’ title

The Episerver Mobile Commerce report is an annual study of the UK’s top 20 retailers, selected from the IMRG Experian Hitwise Hot Shops list. The report is now in its fourth year, and the latest results reveal that overall, retailers have improved on their delivery of a ‘seamless and sophisticated mobile experience’ for consumers. Percentage scores are awarded to each retailer based on performance against a number of criteria – the average score across all retailers this year was 57%, compared with 47% last year.

John Lewis topped the table for the second year running with a score of 84%, followed by Argos ( 75%), Expedia ( 70%), Amazon UK ( 67%) and Marks & Spencer ( 65%).

According to the report, John Lewis demonstrated “a consistently good mobile strategy across its Android and iOS apps, as well as the mobile site. The retailer’s mobile strategy has ensured apps deliver smooth experiences that reflect the main site and John Lewis branding, with great user involvement features including location services that suggest the nearest store and strong navigation and search functions”.

David Bowen, director, Product Management for Commerce at Episerver, said: “This year we have seen a massive improvement in the approach taken by retailers to develop a sophisticated and seamless mobile experience, emphasised by the average score rising by 10 percentage points.

“The top performing retailers in 2015 have demonstrated their ability to evolve their mobile strategies to meet the demands of consumers, offering added value features that mix clicks with bricks, personalised content and a consistent, quality experience to every user, regardless of the device and platform.”

Results were based on a survey of 1,000 smartphone and tablet owners in the UK, carried out by ResearchNow.