Commentary

Moms Depending on Smartphone In The Store

According to the BabyCenter report on Mobile Influence on Moms’ Path to Purchase, Mobile devices are increasing their role in moms’ lives when it comes to shopping, especially with regard to purchasing new products. The study reveals a significant uptick in mobile’s influence on moms buying new products and testing new brands, rising from 47% in 2013 to 59% in 2014. And more than three-quarters of moms regularly use their smartphones while shopping in-store. In addition, moms' interest in seeing coupons in mobile ads saw a double-digit increase over 2013 findings. 

The report says that 79% use their mobile device specifically for shopping while in the store. Of those who shop in-store with their phones, 73% said they used their phone to comparison shop while in a mass retailer, 35% in a supermarket or grocery store, and 22% in a discount wholesaler. As to the types of products they shopped for in the past six months using their mobile phone, moms cited:

  • Clothing, shoes, and accessories as the top category (54%)
  • Toys, books, and games for children (43%)
  • Food and beverage (38%)

Food and Beverage, as well as grocery shopping overall, was a significant spark for mobile couponing use by moms. 34% of mobile-shopping moms said they used their mobile devices for coupons while purchasing groceries.

In addition, 72% of moms polled stated that the inclusion of a coupon was the most appealing feature in mobile advertising, a 36% jump in this opinion compared to last year, when just 53% of moms said that coupons were important in garnering their interest in a mobile ad. Other factors that moms called out include:

  • Knowing that the deal was located at a store nearby (30%)
  • The ability to scan a barcode for more information (23%)
  • GPS pinpointing to know they are close to a store with the advertised deal (23%)
  • How-to videos showing use of the product (21%)

Each also saw an increase in interest year-over-year, with the GPS ability receiving the highest jump of 64% over last year. The digital video feature was very close behind, showing a 62% bounce.

Julie Michaelson, Vice President of Sales, BabyCenter, says “… marketers and retailers need to be focused on mobile all year round… Moms are becoming more savvy about leveraging their smartphones while shopping… mobile is no longer a ‘good to have’ but a ‘must have’ when… considering what, when, and where to buy… ”

To find more from Babycenter, please visit here.  

 

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