B&Q today (27 September 2011) announces the launch of its mobile transactional online site. The site will give on the move access to diy.com with next day delivery on around 15,000 lines and the ability to reserve any product from the full range and collect from store within half a day.
Customers can currently access DIY.com from their mobiles however, the current DIY.com website navigation and structure is geared towards inspirational browsing from a desktop. So far this year almost 4.5 million users have browsed DIY.com via their mobile device and now this experience will be much easier and customers will be able to browse and shop quickly with minimum clicks.
Internet usage is growing with 28 million UK consumers shopping online. By 2014 numbers are expected to increase to 37m and it is predicted that £1 in every £10 will be spent online using various channels during 2012. By 2020 it is predicted that as much as 60 per cent of an organisation’s sales will be achieved through their multi channel capabilities. Consumers want to shop via the channel of their choice; store, phone, website, or brochure, to fit their lifestyles, and more than 75 per cent of consumer’s use two or more channels to research and complete a transaction.
Whilst 51 per cent of smart phone users are more likely to purchase from retailers with a mobile specific website, trends also show that consumers are using their mobile devices more and more for researching and reserving products too via the reserve and click service.
Consumers are also looking for more and more content. B&Q launched its iPhone App in the summer of 2010 and the plan is to link the mobile site to the App which provides helpful ‘How To’ information and home improvement advice, in the coming weeks. The App is currently downloaded by around 3,000 people a month.
This latest launch is part of the multi channel investment plan announced by B&Q’s parent company, Kingfisher plc in March of this year.
Dave Elliott, Director of MultiChannel at B&Q says; “We’re bringing our online channels inline with consumer trends to make it easier for our customers to browse, be inspired and shop for all their home improvement needs on the go with minimum effort and no fuss.”