Some retail experts say tablets could help retailers focus the shopper’s attention on the product rather than the price. Other experts, however, aren’t quite so sure about that.
For years, shoppers have used smartphones to check prices while they’re standing in the store, freaking out retailers. However, some experts say shoppers use tablets differently.
Siva Kumar, CEO of a company that creates apps, says that tablets have the potential to put some of the power back into a retailer’s hands. In May, Kumar’s company launched an app called Catalogue for the iPad and Android tablets. In creating it, Kumar attempted to replicate the feel of paper catalogs that retailers have sent in the mail for decades. Users can swipe the screen to mimic turning a page while they look at the merchandise.
Kumar says this approach has a more leisurely feel, making the experience more about “discovery.” As consumers browse through a catalog, they may discover something they like and that may lead to a purchase.
Retail experts from Avanade totally disagree.
“People are absolutely going to be looking at price,” the expert said. “It’s always been about price and it’s always going to be about price. That’s never going to change.”
Source: USA Today, August 2011
