Nearly all of us have done it before. You’re out shopping for a new piece of electronics, a new appliance or simply some yogurt for the fridge. You have a question about the brand you see before you, so you take out your smartphone and start searching for information. Smartphones make it possible to answer a wide range of questions from options to specs to consumer reviews, without leaving the aisle, before you ever make a decision to purchase.
Naturally, this is fertile ground for Google and they want to understand the habits of shoppers as they use their smartphones to make purchasing decisions. The Google Shopper Marketing Agency Council partnered with M/A/R/C Research to study the habits of smartphone users while getting ready to shop or when in store.
79% of smartphone users also qualify as smartphone shoppers; those who use their smartphones at least once a month in stores. This equates to roughly 111 million Americans using their smartphones to prepare for or research while shopping. Google’s study found that smartphone shoppers were most likely to use their phones for price comparisons. Smartphone shoppers are also likely to look up product-related information on their phones instead of seeking out help from salespeople. This type of shopper is most likely to research via their phones when purchasing appliances and electronics.
One of the most interesting tidbits to come out of this study is that those who use a smartphone as a regular part of their shopping tend to spend more than those who only use their smartphones occasionally for shopping. Participants in the study also revealed where they turned for information online. Their sources included:
- 82% search engines
- 62% store websites
- 20% deal aggregators
Smartphone shoppers overwhelmingly prefer to acquire information from mobile websites (65%) as opposed to apps (35%).
Now is the time to focus your attention on the mobile consumer. Smartphone shoppers are in your store, using their phones up and down your aisles. If you need assistance with a mobile ad campaign, online lead generation or if you have questions about online shopping habits, call Qiigo at (404) 496-6841.