There are more than 119 million smartphone users in the United States alone. And, according to recent research, many of them plan to use their devices for holiday shopping.
A survey by Google uncovered that 85% of consumers will shop for a gift on one device and then make their purchase on another.
Additional studies on US shoppers found that:
- Those who planned to buy a gift on a mobile device almost doubled to 21%, up from 11% in 2011.
- 31% of consumers “already have shopping-related apps on their smartphone,” with 82% of those people planning to use them to save money over the holidays.
- 62% of mobile holiday shoppers say they are somewhat or very likely to purchase products using a smartphone or tablet on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Moreover, a new study shows consumers made nearly $21 billion in purchases using mobile devices this past year. That said, here are the 5 most popular apps consumers will be using to aid their holiday shopping:
- Pays you to play games while you shop at any Target, Walgreens, or Walmart
- Earn money for taking polls, answering trivia, learning product facts, watching videos, and posting what you plan to buy on your Facebook wall
- Take a picture of your receipt with the app & Ibotta credits your account within 24 hours
- Works on: Apple, with Android coming soon
- Best for grabbing hundreds of coupons from dozens of stores
- Online coupons, printable coupons, grocery coupons and mobile coupons.
- Browse coupons by category, like department stores, electronics, jewelry, women’s clothing etc.
- Download coupon on your smartphone & store cashier scans phone to apply discount.
- Works on: Apple, Android
- Best for shopping on your phone
- Barcode scanning and picture search make it easy to find what you’re looking for
- Check online prices against what you see in store
- Easy checkout with one-click optionm
- Works on: Apple, Android, Blackberry
- Best for finding great deals
- Barcode-scanner app
- Purchase item from app and arrange for pickup at local retailer
- Smart way to take advantage of retailers’ price-match policies
- Works on: Apple, Android, Windows
- Best for timing your shopping
- Helps users determine when to buy a new gadget
- Offers product info, reviews and links to retailers
- iPad bonus: 10 daily Got Your Back Deals – If the price drops below your purchase price, you get the difference
- Works on: Apple, Android
With mobile shopping growing at a rapid rate, it’s interesting to see how retailers are gaining the shoppers’ attention in the competitive mobile market space. Wal-Mart, for example, is revamping its smartphone app with Store Mode and shopping list enhancements. Meanwhile, Target is adding QR codes to a selection of its toys so shoppers can scan and purchase in a few clicks. Others, like Best Buy, plan to assertively match the prices of their online competition, like Amazon.
Clearly mobile purchasing is revolutionizing all aspects of shopping. Agencies, brand s and retailers must consider the device and how it will be used, then craft their marketing efforts to meet the mobile user’s needs.
See also:
Talking Shop with Mike Paley: How Retailers Can Leverage Showrooming
Quick Take with Bryon Morrison: iPad Mini Impact On Brand s and Marketing
