Growing numbers of smartphone users are turning to those devices and the World Wide Web to help them make purchase decisions while out shopping in stores, according to new market research from GfK.
Using mobile phones to compare prices tied with contacting a friend or family member for advice as the top two types of behaviors that shoppers in 23 countries around the world exhibited while shopping in stores. Both were cited by 40% of mobile phone users surveyed. Ranking third, 36 percent cited taking pictures of products they might buy.
Smartphone Use in Stores
Zooming in on the use of mobile phones in stores in the U.S., GfK found that getting in touch with a trusted person was “slightly more common” (39 percent) than comparing prices (37 percent) among mobile phone users out shopping.
In the U.S., men and women use mobile phones to compare prices while shopping in stores about equally, Gfk found – 37 percent of men as compared to 36 percent of women. At 55 percent, the youngest shoppers (ages 15-19) reported doing so most frequently. Young adults 20-29 and those 30-39 tied for second at 47 percent.
Women in the U.S. are more likely than their male counterparts to use their mobile phones to contact a friend or family member to ask for advice while out shopping, GfK found. Forty-one percent of U.S. women surveyed reported doing so as compared to 37 percent of U.S. men.
A strikingly high 65 percent of U.S. teens said they use their mobile phones to contact friends or family members to ask for advice while shopping in stores. That compares to 54 percent of young adults and 40 percent of those 30-39.
Among U.S. mobile users, other commonly cited uses of mobile phones while shopping in stores included:
- Taking pictures of actual products they might buy (34%);
- Taking pictures of advertisements, descriptions and other information about products (26%);
- Scanning bar codes or QR codes (24%);
- Buying products through an “app” on their mobile devices (19%);
- Buying products through the store’s or another website (17%).
