Content about Touchscreens

Washington, D.C. -- With more than 60 million Americans forecast to own a tablet computer by the end of this year, retailers say tablets are driving an increasingly larger share of their web revenue. According to the 2012 Shop.org/Forrester Research Inc.’s State of Retailing Online survey, 49% of retailers say their average order value via a tablet is now higher than traditional web sales. Nearly three in 10 (28%) retailers say they are seeing about the same average order value from tablets as their website.

By Thierry Costa, thierry.costa@sli-systems.com

Los Angeles -- A survey released Monday by PriceGrabber said that 77% of consumers who own a tablet computer use either a tablet or a smartphone to shop.

The survey includes responses from 1,829 U.S. online shopping consumers, 22% of whom indicated that they own a tablet computer.

When consumers who use their mobile devices for shopping were asked how often they make purchases from their mobile devices, 40% said a couple times a month, 23% said once a week, 20% said a few times a year, and 10% said daily.

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores said Thursday it has launched a smartphone application that will help customers manage prescriptions and locate the nearest Winn-Dixie Pharmacy with their iPhone, Android or Blackberry smartphones.

“Using the new app will help guests view and reorder prescriptions, receive alerts when their prescription is ready, set reminders to take their medications and remind them of dosage, and even remind them to schedule a doctor’s appointment,” said Mary Kellmanson, Winn-Dixie group VP marketing.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- Motorola Solutions on Monday announced the first tablet computer built from the ground up specifically for enterprise users, the Android-based ET1. With the first solutions focused on retail, the new tablet will be available in fourth quarter 2011.

Similar in appearance to a consumer tablet, the new ET1 is designed to leverage the sleek design and user experience of a tablet with the applications, durability, security, device management and lifecycle-support needs that are specific to the retail environment.

Washington, D.C. -- A survey released Thursday by the National Retail Federation found that nearly one third of tablet owners will use the device to purchase back-to-school items.

According to NRF’s 2011 Back-to-School and College surveys conducted by BIGresearch, consumers with smartphones and tablets will use their devices to research products, redeem coupons, look up store information, and even make purchases.

New York City -- A recent survey by Deloitte found that the proliferation of smartphones – coupled with social network popularity -- has had a significant impact on what consumers expect from retailers and their in-store shopping experience.

Smart phone Mobile Apps! Just like the accessibility of airplane travel for the masses revolutionalized the travel industry, smart phones will revolutionalize the retail industry. Although I may use hyberbole on occasion (but only to make a point), this is not one of those times. They will truly change the industry as we know it. 2011 will be the tipping point — the point where the line on the penetration chart crosses over. More than 50% of cell phones in the United States will be smart phones versus functional phones, according to Nielsen.

As 2010 draws to a close and interest in mobile technology and mobile commerce reaches a fever pitch (mobile is expected to be among the NRF Show’s biggest themes), Juniper Research has drawn up a list of predictions for the mobile and wireless industry for 2011. Here is the firm’s Top 5 predictions:

Bellevue, Wash. -- Touchscreen solution-provider Intava said Thursday that Ethan Allen has selected Intava Vector to power the retailer’s new touchscreens in participating Ethan Allen Design Centers nationwide.

The touch screens showcase Ethan Allen’s designs using interactive technology that combines photos, videos and details on all available furnishings and accessories. The technology gives consumers the ability to discover, select and visualize home interiors through intuitive interactions with the screen.