Two thirds of consumers now use smartphones to shop – study

Mobile commerce is booming with new research showing that consumers are increasingly using their device to shop both in-store and online.

Latest figures from Usablenet have shown that two thirds of consumers (64%) now use their smartphones to shop with 28% doing so almost daily.

Additionally, 58% now use their mobile device to research purchases whilst 57% check customer reviews of a product when in-store, the figures showed. 

Shoppers were also shown to be using retailer’s in-store mobile devices – such as M&S’ use of iPads in-store – with 77% of those surveyed claiming to have used in-store kiosks.

However, whilst two thirds of consumers browse via their mobile, the survey showed that experience is everything with 81% saying that they would prefer to make the actual purchase on a larger device, such as a tablet.

For those still not convinced about mobile commerce, the survey listed long winded or clunky journeys as being shoppers’ biggest bugbears; followed by shipping fees added to transactions; inability to check product stock in stores; being made to register with a site to make a purchase; and manually entering credit or debit card information. 

Carin van Vuuren, CMO at Usablenet, said: “This report reveals the importance of retailers ‘closing the multichannel loop’ to offer customers the best experience possible across all channels.

“As we approach what is expected to be a record breaking Christmas in terms of online sales, brands must be prepared to cater for the modern customer, who may wish to use a range of devices interchangeably, in-store, online and on-the-go.”

Recent figures showed that purchases made using smartphones and tables have grown exponentially year-on-year and now account for nearly a quarter (23%) of all online sales.