Shoppers are replacing retail assistants with mobile devices to help them research, locate and purchase goods on mobile and the high street, new research has found.

According to the survey of more than 2,000 smartphone users in the UK, France, Germany and Sweden by Tradedoubler and Forrester Consulting, 71% of respondents use their devices to research potential purchases whilst 53% claimed to use their mobile to purchase products.

In terms of tablet usage, 40% of device owners claimed to use the device to research a potential purchase whilst 33% go on to complete a transaction. According to the figures, tablet users are the biggest spenders, splashing out an average spend of at £185, compared to £113 on mobile.

Mobile access to product information, store location, location-based offers, voucher codes, comparison sites, barcode scanners, product reviews and purchase tracking is making the traditional in-store approach to purchasing increasingly out-dated, said the report.

The research also outlined the ‘portability’ of mobile devices with 42% of shoppers using their devices in-store to compare prices and 13% admitting to have switch stores after finding a better offer elsewhere.

Urban Gillström, CEO of Tradedoubler, said: “This research represents a wake-up call for all businesses that still believe an m-commerce strategy is a ‘nice to have’ rather than business critical.

“Consumers increasingly expect a seamless, multi-touch, multi-channel experience across mobile, online and in-store platforms. The future belongs to the advertisers that can deliver that, but it can be difficult for them to know where to start.”