Cabela’s going hunting for mobile sales

I know, terrible play on words. But I was reading through some press releases today and it is amazing the growth in the Mobility Market for ecommerce and how companies not generally recognized for technology are utilizing it to gain an edge and grow their sales. I am a pretty avid fisherman and hunter in whatever spare time I get. So I make it a point to visit a Cabela’s or Bass Pro no matter what city I am going through either business (shhh don’t tell anyone) or vacation with the family. So naturally I have a personal connection with this press release. So where would you use a mobile optimized website from the World’s Foremost Outfitter Cabela’s? In a deer stand naturally. This aren’t always that exciting on the hunt and I have found coverage (even for AT&T) has gotten a lot better over the years and signal readily available. So I find myself surfing the internet, texting my other hunting buddies, and playing games. I have sent countless pictures of wildlife to my family. So yes, I think it is a great idea for a mobile optimized Cabela’s! 

Cabela’s mobile page was optimized “through Digby’s Mobile Commerce Software Platform” So not only is browsing through the Cabela’s mobile website possible but so is purchasing the things that you really….(cough) need. So head on over to www.Cabela’s.com on your mobile device, those being the iPhone/iPod Touch, BlackBerry and Android and check it out.

IDNEY, Neb. & AUSTIN, Texas — Cabela’s^® (NYSE: CAB), the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, announced today the launch of an optimized mobile website through mobile commerce leader Digby. Cabela’s offers quality outdoor gear and clothing at competitive prices and is a leading source for outdoor information. Now, their customers can enjoy the same easy, quick shopping experience from the convenience of their mobile device—anytime, anywhere. Through Digby’s Mobile Commerce Software Platform, Cabela’s is enabling mobile as a strategic channel that complements their e-Commerce website, catalogs and products sold in more than 30 stores in the United States and Canada.

“We have a long history of providing our customers with great gear through our catalogs, retail stores and, since 1998, an industry leading e-Commerce site”

Cabela’s unique and optimized mobile experience will allow customers to easily search and purchase items when they visit www.cabelas.com on popular mobile devices including the iPhone/iPod Touch, BlackBerry and Android. Key features of the new mobile website include: rich product photographs, complete product descriptions, customer-submitted product reviews, shop by category, shop by brand, store locator, e-mail and a complete site search.

“We have a long history of providing our customers with great gear through our catalogs, retail stores and, since 1998, an industry leading e-Commerce site,” said Derek Fortna, Internet Marketing Manager for Cabela’s, which will celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 2011. “We are very excited to expand into mobile so our loyal customers can now access our great products, services and information anytime, anywhere from the palm of their hands.”

Cabela’s decision to enable mobile through Digby’s Mobile Commerce Software Platform comes at a very strategic, opportune time. According to IDC¹, the smartphone market is expected to grow 55 percent this year alone—a greater increase than previously predicted.

“With more than 50 percent of Americans expected to own a smartphone by the end of 2011 (source Asymco²), Cabela’s is taking the initiative to build a more personal mobile relationship with their most loyal customers by providing them with the ease and convenience of being able to buy leading outdoor equipment and gear anywhere at anytime,” said Dave Sikora, President and CEO of Digby. “We are excited about this partnership and will continue to work closely with them, sharing business intelligence and purchase trends to ensure their expansion into mobile is an ongoing success.”

¹ – Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker