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U.S Mobile Shoppers - free whitepaper
Mobile internet connectivity changes everything. How we stay in touch with friends and family; how
we inform and entertain ourselves; and how we navigate our ways through our daily lives all are transformed when armed with a wirelessly connected smartphone or tablet. Shopping falls high on the list of mobile-impacted behaviors. According to comScore, as of September 2011, about 36 million Americans accessed mobile shopping content or activities. 8.2 percent of U.S. mobile users specifically visited a mobile shopping site on their phones, up from just 4.8 percent as of September 2010.1 A scan of a barcode or a quick mobile search can give consumers a command of products, pricing, alternatives and availability, both before they go shopping and while they’re at the mall.
As we enter the most important shopping season of the year, consumers’ access to mobile data will inevitably influence both what they buy and where they buy it. Deloitte’s 2011 annual holiday shopping survey indicates that 27% of smartphone owners plan to use their devices for holiday shopping this year.2 Marketers must understand the evolving role of mobile connectivity in the shopping process. Identifying mobile shoppers and delivering relevant messages to consumers as they are in shopping mode represents a key opportunity.
This briefing examines the mobile shopping audience today, along with the distribution of mobile-savvy shoppers across major U.S. cities.3 This report defines mobile shopping as both completing purchases via a phone or tablet and using a phone or tablet to research or shop for products before or during the process of purchasing in physical retail locations or online. Some of the key findings in this report include:
- Mobile shoppers are younger and have higher incomes than the average mobile user.
- Ten percent of U.S. mobile users use their mobiles for comparing prices
- Almost 20 percent of U.S. mobile users use their phones to text or call family or friends about a product while in a store
- Houston, New York and Atlanta are the most mobile-shopping-savvy cities in the U.S
- Retailers in these cities must be particularly quick to embrace mobile as part of their marketing strategies.
