This year’s Shop.org annual summit places a greater focus on mobile than ever before since retailers are increasingly turning to the channel for an intimate connection with customers.

Since its inception in 1996, the digital retail industry has attended Shop.org, creating a community of like-minded executives with the common purpose of advancing their industry through the sharing of knowledge, experience and expertise. The event takes place Sept. 21-23 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
 
“The trends are obvious – customers expect mobile devices to be part of their shopping experience,” said Matt Dion, vice president of marketing at Elastic Path, Vancouver, British Columbia. “We are working with our customers now to help them capitalize on this reality. 

“The show is a great opportunity for customers to share their best practices and for vendors to come to the table with innovative solutions,” he said.

Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, is a member-driven trade association whose exclusive focus is to provide a forum for retail executives to share information, lessons-learned,  new perspectives, insights and intelligence about digital and multichannel retailing.

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry’s key trading partners of retail goods and services.

With retailers like Bloomingdale’s, H&M, Polo Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, Timberland, Urban Outfitters, Target, Sears, JCPenney and Best Buy using mobile to extend their brand it is obvious the channel is no longer taking a back seat when it comes to marketing strategies.

At a panel titled, “Mobile Commerce: The Next Frontier for Retail,” Mobile Marketer’s Mickey Alam Khan will moderate a panel that is meant to help retailers looking to tap into the next digital channel for interacting with consumers – mobile.

“This session will prove to retailers that mobile commerce is here and now, and not something that could be put off for another couple of years,” Mr. Alam Khan said. “Consumers have already shown a marked preference for conducting many of their regular chores on mobile phones and shopping is definately one of them.

“To not have a mobile commerce presence is to leave money on the table,” he said

Panelists of the session are Ted Hong, chief marketing officer of Fandango,  Neal Narayani, senior manager of mobile and email Marketing at Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., Gary Wohlfeill, creative director at Moosejaw.

The United States boasts more than 233 million mobile subscribers nationwide – one-fifth of them with text- and email-friendly, Web-enabled smartphones such as the Apple iPhone, Palm Pre and assorted BlackBerry, Nokia, LG, Samsung, HTC and Motorola models.

These consumers use the mobile phone not just to talk and text, but also to email, search, play, find directions, listen to music, shop and buy.

Better handsets, affordable data plans, higher mobile Web usage and increasing awareness of mobile shopping are creating an ideal environment for retailers to take their ecommerce and online marketing operations mobile.

Consumers will soon expect to receive the same experience on mobile as they do on the wired Web on PCs.

The panel at Shop.org will be comprised of case studies and best-practice tips from retailers and marketers who understand mobile marketing, merchandising and commerce, including the use of SMS, mobile coupons and mobile Web.

Panelists will take questions during presentations, so expect a lively, interactive session. 

Knotice is Shop.org’s mobile marketing partner for the event.

At the end of each keynote and breakout session, attendees can participate in a one question survey administered through mobile, that Knotice is providing the technology for.

Also, during each breakout session and keynote, attendees can free form text a question to be read during the question and answer sessions after each session.

“I applaud Shop.org’s vision for incorporating mobile communications into their event this year,” said Josh Gordon, director of marketing for Knotice, Akron, OH. “Helping Shop.org with mobile surveys and feedback is a great way to demonstrate how easy, accessible and flexible mobile marketing is.
 
“Retailers are still discovering mobile tactics like mobile sales alerts and enabling consumers to send shopping carts to their mobile device,” Mr. Gordon said. “Shop.org is rightly showcasing how easy mobile marketing is to do.”