Survey: 73% to use their mobile devices for holiday shopping

Chicago --A majority (54%) of shoppers said they would shop both online and in-store this holiday season, according to a survey by Retale, a location-based mobile platform. Twenty-four percent said they planned to shop in brick-and-mortar stores only, and 22% said online only.



The survey uncovered a number of differences among Android and Apple users, which accounted for 89% of those surveyed:



•Apple users (89%) are more likely to buy directly from their devices than Android users (85%);

•Android users (51%) prefer mobile shopping on a smartphone more than Apple users (48%); and

• Apple users (86%) are more likely to spend the same amount or more on holiday spending this year than Android users (80%).



Among those owning a mobile device, the survey found that 73% plan to use them for holiday shopping, with the most common mobile shopping activities being finding deals (97%); comparing prices (96%) researching products (96%); accessing coupons (92%); finding stores (89%); and buying directly from the device (85%).



On average, 60% of these activities take place both in and out of stores as mobile devices are increasingly used to support both experiences.



The top activity conducted out-of-store is buying directly from a mobile device (30%), with the most common in-store activity being the accessing of coupons (14%).



The least likely in-store mobile activity is finding deals (8%) and researching products (8%), while accessing coupons (16%) is the least likely out-of-store activity.



In other findings:



• Shoppers prefer using a smartphone over a tablet for mobile shopping activities. On average, 47% prefer using a smartphone for shopping activities, with just 32% opting for a tablet.

• The top smartphone activity is finding store locations (61%), with researching products online (42%) the preferred context for tablet use, and the only area where tablets exceeded smartphones (by a single percentage point).



“During the holiday season, mobile is increasingly critical for shoppers, whether in-store or out,” said Pat Dermody, president of Retale. “There is no doubt that mobile must be a part of everyone’s holiday strategy from giving customers an opportunity to find deals to helping them find your stores to buying from their devices, mobile is where it’s at this year.”