Nearly half of UK consumers who use retailers’ apps do so to get notifications about promotions, according to new analysis.

GlobalData’s research suggested this is good news for retailers, which should ensure their apps include this functionality to promote discounted products and encourage browsing.

Hannah Thomson, senior retail analyst at GlobalData, explained that this form of communication may be more effective than the more-established method of an email newsletter.

“Retailers must ensure their apps deliver the functionality consumers value, such as the ability to make and save wishlists and to give updates on deliveries, as limited storage on mobile devices means consumers are selective about which apps they install,” she stated.

Retailers that can encourage shoppers to use their apps can expect to pick up additional spend on impulse purchases, with GlobalData’s research last year among 10,000 UK online shoppers finding 53.3 per cent of consumers agreed that most purchases made using smartphones were impulse buys.

Thomson added that this will benefit retailers of discretionary products, such as fashion and decorative homewares.

“However, the benefits for retailers specialising in larger-ticket items will be limited, with consumers more cautious about using mobile devices for these purchases, and 78.9 per cent agreeing that for categories such as furniture or electricals, they prefer to use a laptop or desktop, as they can see the product details and imagery more clearly.”

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