Survey: Holiday mobile shopping on the rise

Los Angeles -- Mobile shopping continues to rise, with almost one-quarter (23%) of consumers planing to shop using a mobile device this year, up 44% from 2012, according to PriceGrabber’s second Winter Holiday Survey. In addition, when respondents were asked to select all the ways they plan to shop for gifts, 88% said online from a desktop computer and 47% said they plan to visit brick and mortar stores, with 46% who plan to make fewer trips to retail stores this year.



Another 23% of shoppers said they would be comfortable purchasing all of their holiday gifts using their mobile device this year. Price point matters to 41% of mobile shoppers who said they are only comfortable purchasing items under $100; however, 33% indicated they would purchase both big and small ticket items.



When shoppers were asked what types of items they feel comfortable purchasing from their mobile device, books, CDs, DVDs, and video games topped the list at 71%. Clothing ranked a close second at 70%. Additionally, most people are comfortable purchasing shoes from their phone or tablet, ranking third at 59%. About half of shoppers are content buying consumer electronics, toys, and event tickets on-the-go, while fewer shoppers are comfortable purchasing appliances and jewelry and watches.



Mobile shopping apps have become an increasingly popular tool for consumers looking to save money, with 72% of smartphone owners saying they currently use one to four shopping-related apps. Mobile app downloads are expected to rise during the holidays with 23% who plan to download new apps to assist in shopping for gifts.



When asked what apps shoppers planned to download for holiday shopping this year, 61% said coupon apps; 55% said comparison shopping apps; 54% will download apps from their favorite retailers; 50% will download Black Friday and/or Cyber Monday apps to search for the best deals; and 44% will download apps with the ability to scan barcodes. According to the survey, 33% said they shop via their mobile web browser and only 7% said they usually shop via an app.



"In order to stay competitive with the online marketplace, retailers are adapting to the increase in showrooming, enticing consumers to complete their purchases in-stores this year," said Jeff Goldstein, President of PriceGrabber. "Mobile shoppers who research prices on their mobile devices will be able to take advantage of price-matching while in-store, scoring some of the best deals on holiday gifts this season."