xAd Finds Retail Related Mobile Search Activity is 24% Greater on Christmas Eve Than Black Friday
New York, NY (PRWEB) December 17, 2013 -- xAd, the only global mobile-location ad platform, today released research revealing that retail related mobile search activity surges on Christmas Eve, with 24% more mobile search activity than Black Friday. This phenomenon, which is a result of last-minute shoppers scrambling to locate nearby retail stores that remain open with the hope of purchasing holiday gifts, is called “Mobile Eve”.
Growing adoption and use of mobile devices has amplified retail behavior, allowing consumers to research, locate and sometimes even purchase nearly anything they desire immediately and on the go. However, this ease of access to retail information via smartphones leads to purchase procrastination, increasing last-minute shopping activity - especially during the holiday season.
While terms like Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become staples of retail vernacular, the mobile retail search phenomenon leading up to Christmas and other popular gifting holidays has not been discussed in detail. Data from xAd’s mobile-location platform reveals that while Black Friday activity on mobile devices is still significant, the greater emphasis on last-minute retail shopping on gift-giving holidays like Christmas prompts even more retail search activity on mobile phones. “Mobile Eve” gives retailers a unique window of opportunity and one final chance to achieve intended share of voice and overall holiday sales goals.
xAd’s data reveals that mobile search activity ramps up just three days before Christmas, with mobile activity levels similar to Black Friday. Then, on Christmas Eve, last-minute needs reach a fever pitch when consumers search for the nearest open retail location to find and purchase those last-minute gifts. Mobile retail search activity on what is now called “Mobile Eve” surpasses that of Black Friday by 24%. At this point, brick and mortar stores are not just a preference over mobile or online purchase, they’re a necessity, with no time to have items shipped.
“’Mobile Eve’ is a phenomenon that has not been extensively researched or discussed, however, as our data reveals, is a massive opportunity for retailers,” said Monica Ho, VP of marketing at xAd. “Because ‘Mobile Eve’ demonstrates user preference in finding and visiting physical storefronts, retailers can take advantage of this opportunity to reach retail procrastinators and drive them in-store. This also provides retailers one last chance to increase marketing share-of-voice and year-end revenue.”
While the last minute trends experienced during Mobile Eve are naturally more extreme due to the sheer volume of dollars being spent during the holiday season, other major retail holidays demonstrate similar procrastination activity – eased by the use of mobile search via smartphones. Earlier this year, xAd released reports documenting mobile search activity found on our platform during Mother’s Day and Halloween, both of which illustrated a spike in mobile-related interest in the days leading up to the actual holiday.
Click here to download xAd’s whitepaper – Mobile Eve: How Retail Stores can Make the Most of Last Minute Holiday Shopping.
About xAd
Founded in 2009, xAd is the only global mobile-location ad platform and the leader in delivering targeted mobile ads based on accurate user location and search context. Across its network, the company aggregates and manages billions of monthly ad impressions from which it derives the largest supply of location-based advertising inventory in the market. xAd delivers targeted mobile location@scale for over a million national and local advertisers, including brands like Pinkberry, Home Depot and Wells Fargo. xAd is based in New York City with several satellite offices across the U.S. and internationally. For more information, visit http://www.xAd.com.
Monica Ho, 646-831-2168, [email protected]
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