BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blueport Commerce, the leading provider of e-commerce technology and services for the retail furniture industry, today reported passing a mobile milestone during Presidents’ Day week, a key selling period in big-ticket retail.
Revenue from smartphones was up 65% year over year and accounted for 35% of total revenue on the Blueport Platform. Much like desktop users, smartphone shoppers gravitated toward large items from Blueport’s retail partners. The week’s top seller was a 139” long 3-piece sectional sofa, and living room packages were the top-selling category among smartphone users. The average size of a smartphone order was nearly $730.
“We’re seeing an exponential increase in revenue from smartphones, pointing to a dramatic mobile shift in shopping for big-ticket items in the U.S.,” says Carl Prindle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Blueport Commerce. “The idea of purchasing a sectional on a phone was once unimaginable. Today, a responsive website that works as well on a phone as it does on a tablet or desktop is the cornerstone of a retailer’s omnichannel strategy. It’s indispensable to shoppers as they consider their purchase and move between home, work, and shopping our retailers’ stores.”
“For retailers, it’s a critical differentiator, particularly during a sales period as competitive as Presidents’ Day. Our retailers closed smartphone orders from the parking lots of competitors’ stores, after shoppers had finished shopping around and were ready to buy. That’s a tremendous convenience for shoppers and a big win for our retailers,” adds Prindle.
Historically, selling online in big-ticket categories like furniture has been complex and hard to profit from. Far from the “click, pick and ship” model of most ecommerce, big-ticket categories like furniture challenge retailers with high omnichannel expectations from shoppers, long, considered purchase cycles that traverse in store and online, and complex logistic and ERP integrations.
This complexity alone prevents nearly three-quarters of furniture retailers from participating in ecommerce today. Add the complexity of designing websites to work seamlessly across devices, and the effort can be daunting. For retailers on the Blueport Platform, however, it’s an opportunity – one enabled by Blueport’s continuous improvement in its platform technology and ongoing mobile enhancements.
“We’re thrilled with our results over Presidents’ Day and expect this mobile migration to accelerate throughout 2016 and beyond,” adds Randy Goldstein, Executive Vice President of Ecommerce. “Partnering with our retailers to solve for these unique omnichannel challenges presents an opportunity for unprecedented growth in the coming years.”
About Blueport Commerce
Blueport Commerce helps leading furniture retailers capture their e-commerce opportunity. We marry retailers' brick-and-mortar infrastructure and expertise with our decade of online furniture experience, innovative technology, and unique marketing and sales solutions.
Leading furniture retailers run their websites on Blueport's SaaS e-commerce platform, driving sales online and in their stores. Plus, Blueport drives additional sales for furniture retailers through Furniture.com, our e-commerce marketplace. To learn more visit www.blueport.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or through our blog.
