If we had it our way the entire world would be wirelessly connected. Unfortunately, this is not yet the case. From a profit and customer satisfaction standpoint, there are many places that should be wirelessly connected.

With the increasing popularity of smart phones and mobile applications, consumers today are using smart phone as a personal shopping consultant and more. But what happens if the consumer is unable to connect to this "personal shopping consultant" while in store? Will they decide not purchase? Is this a missed opportunity for the retailer?

Interestingly enough,  a consumer survey by Deloitte found that "37 percent of shoppers who tried to use a mobile application in-store were unable to because they didn't have connectivity." There are many reasons why this is a missed opportunity. It leaves the consumer unable to search for online ratings, connect with online sales promotions, and social share any content or feedback. It also leaves the consumer unable to engage with the retailer's own mobile application while in-store. The survey also showed that "while mobile shopping increased from 43 percent to 50 percent in the past year, internet connectivity did not."

Surely it does not matter how robust your mobile application is if your customer can't access it while in store. Personally, if I'm able to research the web, leverage mobile apps, and social network while shopping; I'm likely to stay longer and buy...