• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, November 7, 2014

The price better be right for in-store holiday shoppers this time around.

Among many other facilitations, mobile is providing more windows into product pricing and more shoppers will be peering through, based on yet another mobile shopping study.

Researching and comparing store prices is near the top of the list of how shoppers will use their smartphones, according to the Online Insights study, comprising a survey of 786 U.S. adults conducted by Burst Media and Rhythm NewMedia.

The survey found that half of consumers use mobile devices inside physical retail locations to help make purchase decision, which is consistent with other research.

For example, the American Express Spending and Savings Tracker study found that about half (49%) of consumers will use mobile to holiday shop this year, as I wrote about here recently (Holiday Shoppers: Half Will Use Mobile, Half Won’t).

Segmenting further, the Online Insights survey found that only 39% of those 18-to-24 years old will use their phones in stores and even fewer (22%) of those aged 65 and older will.

The survey also found that in-store mobile activities differ between men and women.

The top in-store use of mobile by men is to research/compare features, followed by comparing reviews and store prices. Here is what men use their mobile devices for in stores, according to the survey:

• 51% -- Research/compare features
• 50% -- Research/compare reviews
• 48% -- Research/ compare store prices
• 47% -- Research/ compare brand prices
• 34% -- Access coupons, promotions
• 22% -- Scan QR/barcodes
• 14% -- Use digital payment
• 14% -- Access loyalty account
• 6% -- Access social media

The top mobile use by women is accessing coupons and promotions, followed by comparing store prices and brand prices. Here’s how women use their mobile devices in stores:

• 60% -- Access coupons, promotions
• 58% -- Research/ compare store prices
• 41% -- Research/ compare brand prices
• 35% -- Research/compare features
• 34% -- Research/compare reviews
• 30% -- Access loyalty account
• 21% -- Scan QR/barcodes
• 11% -- Use digital payment
• 8% -- Access social media

Checking and determining the best price for a product is in the top three for both males and females and is generally at or near the top of most any mobile shopping study.

For example, a recent survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Google Consumer Surveys for Thinknear found that when shopping in a physical store, the top mobile phone uses planned were price comparisons, sales and coupons and product reviews.

As a potentially positive piece of information for in-store beaconing, the Online Insights survey found that three quarters (77%) of those who received a push notification while in a store read them.

Mobile shoppers may be open to push messages but they also will be very involved in pull, as in pulling the right price via their phone.