Study – Don’t take mobile shoppers for granted

Consumers are willing to use their mobile devices for shopping, but retailers still need to carefully design their mobile apps and experiences.

That’s according to “The New Mobile Mantra,” based on a proprietary mobile clickstream panel and survey of more than 2,000 smartphone-owning U.S. adults conducted by Millward Brown Digital. It found that 63% of smartphone owners use their mobile device to shop on mass merchant retailer websites.



Sixty-four percent of respondents primarily use apps for retail-related mobile activity, while 36% mostly use a browser. However, consumer willingness to use retail apps is limited. More than half of respondents have 40 to 70 apps on their smartphones, but 71% only use between one and six apps per day. That figure represents all types of apps, not just retail apps.



Consumers also are willing to delete apps for a variety of reasons. Seventy-two percent of respondents will delete an app because they rarely use it, while 51% will delete an app they need to free memory, 34% will delete an app because it sends too many ads and alerts, and 32% will delete an app because it isn’t easy to use.



Amazon’s mobile app has by far the highest mobile consumer penetration (76%), with Walmart running a distant second (33%). Other popular retail apps include eBay (27% mobile penetration) and Target (18%).



Interestingly, for both consumers who prefer to use mobile apps and mobile browsers for retail activities, convenience is the top motivator. A leading 54% of app users and 45% of browser users cite ease of navigation.



Both also list ease of searching for information third (28% of app users and 35% of browser users). The difference between the two groups of mobile consumers is illustrated by their second most popular reasons for using their preferred means of mobile engagement — ease of login (51%) of app users and the ability to browse multiple retailers (41% of browser users).



Other notable findings for retailers include:

• Looking for promotions, coupons or deals (53%) and reading online reviews from other consumers (48%) are more popular mobile retail activities than making a purchase (43%).

• Home (85%) is by far the most popular location for mobile shopping.

• Twenty-three percent of mobile consumers “showroom,” or use their device to shop at a competing retailer, while in another retailer’s store.

• Showroomers are 64% female and skew older (57% are 35 years old and older).