DMI, a global leader in end-to-end mobility solutions, released its second annual Mobile In-Store Experience Rankings report. The company dispatched "secret shoppers" to 120 of America's top retailers and used its proprietary Mobile Maturity Model platform to assess the experiences that retailers offer via mobile devices to customers in their brick-and-mortar stores.

Download the entire report at http://pages.dminc.com/USA-17-retail-maturity-model.html.

Key Findings:

• Significant gap between reality and customers' expectations: Based on a total of 240 possible points, this year's highest score was 131 – only slightly more than 50 percent of possible points, but 20 points higher than last year's top score. With 74 percent of the general population and 88 percent of Mobile Reliants indicating that the in-store mobile experience influences where they shop, the retailers who get it will win.

• The leaders are pulling ahead: The top five retailers continued to widen the gap with their competition, improving 16 points year-over-year compared to only a five-point increase by the average retailer. While the leaders understand and are investing in today's on-the-go buying trends, most are still behind in delivering what consumers desire when it comes to improving the in-store shopping experience.

• Watch the Mobile Reliants: The Mobile Reliants audience remains the primary target for in-store experiences, yet brands are underserving them today. 33 percent of shoppers were profiled as having three or more mobile shopping applications on their devices, using their device "a lot" or "all day" and regularly or always using their device while shopping in-store.

• Meet expectations, get rewarded: The usage of mobile devices in retail purchasing is accelerating, and expectations are outpacing improvements in customer experience. Shoppers see increasing value in apps designed specifically to support in-store shopping. 80 percent of the general population and 91 percent of Mobile Reliants say such tools would improve the in-store shopping experience.

Jay Sunny Bajaj, DMI founder and CEO, said: "2015 saw a dramatic shift in retailers' awareness of the potential to enhance the in-store experience for shoppers by leveraging their mobile devices. This year's survey reveals that retailers who are investing in an enhanced in-store shopping experience are heading in the right direction, but there is still a significant gap between the haves and the have-nots. Those who provide a quality mobile experience will create the loyalty and market share so critical to retail success."