New Research Shows That Consumers are Moving Faster Than Retailers Towards Mobile Internet

Survey Commissioned by AIME, IAB and IMRG Shows That 41% of UK Retail Brands Expect to Have a Transactional Mobile Site or Application Within the Next Year

LONDON, August 18, 2010 - Too few retailers have a solid mobile presence today; however, 41% plan
to have a transactional mobile site or application in place within the next
year, according to the results from a new research partnership between the
Association for Interactive Media and Entertainment (AIME), the Internet
Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).
The study found that while mobile commerce is still very much at the
consideration stage, the majority of retailers surveyed expect mobile
commerce to be part of their main strategy within the next 12 months.

eDigital Research, commissioned by AIME, the IAB and the IMRG, surveyed
140 marketing professionals from the retail, advertising and mobile service
provider sectors in the UK to understand attitudes, behaviours and perceived
challenges to mobile commerce. Over half (59%) of the senior-level
representatives from UK retail brands that took part expected their mobile
revenues to increase over the next 12 months, and 94% saw it as a real
opportunity for their business.

More retailers need to follow their audiences on mobile

The research highlights the need for retailers to move faster to keep
with the consumers already seeking out retail websites via their mobile
phones. Each month in the UK, a staggering 4.2 million consumers are visiting
retailers' websites using the mobile internet (GSMA and comScore, 2010).

However, just four of the top 20 most frequently visited retailer
websites are presently optimised for mobile, and only eight of the top 20
have any kind of mobile application for smartphones like the iPhone,
Blackberry or Android powered devices. This means that many retailers could
be missing out on additional revenues from the ready and willing mobile
consumer traffic to their sites.

Whilst most retailers believe their mobile revenues will increase over
the next few years, currently around 63% either make less than 1% of their
total revenues via mobile, or don't measure their mobile revenues at all at
present, citing a lack of knowledge and expertise about the mobile platform.
However, the research found that over half (59%) of the senior-level
representatives from UK retail brands who took part in the survey expected
their mobile revenues to increase over the next 12 months, and 94% saw it as
a real opportunity for their business.

Alex Kozloff, mobile manager for the Internet Advertising Bureau said:
"For brands, extending their presence onto mobile has been a daunting
prospect, simply due to the new jargon, technologies and tricks of the trade
that need to be understood in order to make the most of the medium. But with
UK consumers already seeking out brands on their mobile phones, in particular
retailers, it really is essential that marketers ensure the mobile experience
they offer is just as useful, usable and engaging as their other properties,
both on and offline."

Edward Boddington, Chairman of AIME and CEO of Harvest Media, commented:
"The results of this survey commissioned by these three leading trade
associations clearly demonstrates the opportunity for M-Commerce to develop
rapidly over the next 24 months from a GBP500m industry today. Increasingly,
consumers are looking for best deals, especially in a tough economy and
mobile represents the most convenient tool for instant redemption in the form
of coupons and also loyalty clubs."

Andrew McClelland, Director of Operations at IMRG said:
"Consumers are once again driving demand for a new, convenient shopping
channel, just as they did in the early days of online retailing. This time
around, the cultural shift required for retailers to recognise this demand is
much smaller and in many cases requires the optimisation of an existing web
presence rather than a 'ground-up' development of a new technology. However,
there is a thirst for knowledge with in the retail sector to best understand
how a mobile channel fits with their customer proposition."

About the AIME

AIME is a UK based membership organisation representing and
promoting the commercial interests of the interactive media and entertainment
industry. www.aimelink.org

About the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB)

The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) is the trade association
for digital advertising. www.iabuk.net

About IMRG

IMRG (Interactive Media In Retail Group) is the industry body
for global e-retail. www.imrg.org

    Amy Kean
    Senior PR and marketing manager, IAB
    Tel: +447739-372042
    amy@iabuk.net

Amy Kean, Senior PR and marketing manager, IAB, Tel: +447739-372042, amy at iabuk.net