Study indicates that smartphones are creating the ubiquitous shopper
A survey of household shopping decision makers has found that 93% of smartphone owners now access the internet using their phones and that 57% have bought products via the devices.
The study of 1,000 shoppers by Savvy Marketing found that 85% of respondents said they had used their smartphones to browse the internet at home while 60% of shoppers claimed to have accessed the internet on their phone while watching TV.
Outside of the home, shoppers were found to be most likely to be online when commuting, at a bar or at work, while 36% of respondents said they were increasingly using their phones to access the internet while out shopping.
Alastair Lockhart, head of insight at Savvy Marketing, explained: “In the past, retailers and brand owners have had to wait until people were in ‘shopper mode’ – either in a store or sat at their computer, before they could sell to them. However, the proliferation of smartphones now means that shoppers are constantly connected and can literally be inspired to buy a product at any time or any place. This is a trend we call ubiquitous shopping.”
The research also investigated how shoppers use their phone to help them plan grocery shopping trips. It found that 45% of shoppers use their phones to look for product information, 34% to check the location of a store, and 33% to look up prices. The findings also revealed that shoppers are also increasingly using their phones to seek out discount vouchers
Lockhart added: “This trend is forcing retailers, brands and marketers to change the way they think about shopping and advertising. With shoppers now able to buy products from their favourite retailers at pretty much at any time, traditional advertising should no longer only be about building awareness and love of brands, it should be actively encouraging a purchase. Increasingly the path to purchase is not about a linear shopping experience that involves someone walking around a supermarket, the path to purchase is simply the way that people live their lives – inspiration can hit at any time and they should be able to buy at any time.”
Of the shoppers who had purchased items via their smartphones during the last 12 months, 24% had bought clothing and footwear, 23% had purchased music or video and 22% had bought books. In addition, 19% had used the devices to buy electrical goods, 16% to buy food, drink or groceries, while 9% had made furniture purchases.
Ebay and Amazon apps and sites were found to be the most popular destinations followed by the Tesco or Clubcard mobile app and the Sainsbury’s or Nectar app.
