Lastminute.com sees 300% growth in mobile bookings
Lastminute.com is seeing a 300% growth in the use of mobiles for holiday bookings, with 50% booking on the same day as travel.
The site, which today launched a new marketing campaign promoting the idea of ‘spontaneous, last minute travel’, claims mobiles and tablets are being used by all age groups.
Managing director Mark Maddock said improving the mobile environment and making the most of social media were the areas of growth for the business.
He said: "Technology has caught up with our original brand proposition. The advantage that we have is that we were the pioneers of last minute booking so we have the edge over others.
"50% of our mobile bookings are on the same day as travel which includes city breaks and packages. We’re finding it’s across all age groups – society is changing.
"Customers know it’s no longer about getting to the travel agent in January to get the best deal."
Maddock admits that the economy has also helped the ‘last minute’ concept as did the bad weather at Easter.
The ‘Love Living lastminute.com’ campaign which will feature on TV, print and social media throughout the summer, will push the quality and value of lastminute.com’s products.
It is also highlighting lastminute.com’s Price Match Guarantee and sub brands such as Top Secret Hotels®, which has come under some criticism online.
Here customers book by location, star rating and price but only find out the name of the hotel after their booking, offering them savings of up to 45%.
Maddock said: "Top Secret Hotels will live or die by its reputation. If something slips through the net on quality we want to hear about it. It has grown massively over the years and is the most repeated element of our business."
On promoting the value and quality of lastminute.com travel, he added: "Value shouldn’t be misjudged as low quality. If it’s a four star hotel, it should be the same whether you book early or late.
"Customers are also looking for speed and ease of booking."
Diane
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