Consumers can access the new site by typing http://www.riverisland.com/ into their mobile browser. Additionally, the retailer has updated some features on its Web site to appeal to a wider group of international consumers.

“A large proportion of our consumers use mobile devices to both shop and browse online, so it was important for us to create a dedicated presence within the space so that we can speak to consumers in a manner which they are used to consuming products in online,” said Angela Asiedua, digital marketing manager at River Island, London.

Shop on mobile
When consumers first visit the site, they are prompted to select their country and currency because River Island ships to more than 100 countries across the world.

Users are then prompted to pick to shop for either men’s or women’s clothing.

From there, products are filtered into categories such as just arrived, get the look and style for less.

Additionally, clothing is grouped into categories such as tops, pants and coats.

There is also a prominent search bar that stretches across the screen that users can type keywords and product numbers into if they are looking for something specific.

The menu button on the left side of the screen expands to display additional information, such as a store locator, newsletter sign-up and information on delivery and returns.

Users can then tap and swipe through images of products and check in-store inventory. In-store inventory is available in stores in Britain, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Social media is also heavily loaded into product pages. Consumers can share items across Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest and email.

The site also pulls in recommended products along the bottom of pages that consumers may also be interested in.

In addition to the mobile site, River Island has also launched region-specific Web sites with tailored content. A French language site is currently live with the option to pay for orders in British pounds, Euros or U.S. dollars.

Mobile past
In addition to the new mobile site, River Island also has iPhone and iPad applications.

In 2011, the company rolled out a commerce-enabled iPad app to expand its footprint into new markets (see story).

Nowadays, a mobile presence across multiple platforms is critical for retailers that have a large online and international focus similar to River Island.

“A large number of our consumers now interact with River Island via our mobile platform, so it’s important for us to create a service that is click-friendly and allows customers to add to basket and complete the check-out process in a quick and easy manner,” Ms. Asiedua said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York