Millennials Prefer Mobile For Online Purchases

Age often determines devise usage. If you're between the ages of 18 and 34, you are likely to use your smartphone for some retail activities more than any other mobile device. If you're over 34, you are more likely to use a tablet.

The data, which comes from the IAB Digital Shopping Report, indicates that the differences in generational shopping habits are key for a more nuanced understanding of different audiences.

Over all age groups, consumers are more likely to purchase using a tablet (35%), than a smartphone (28%). However, younger consumers are more likely to purchase on smartphones than tablets (43% vs 35% on tablets).

The report also finds that half of U.S. adults regularly conduct some form of “showrooming,” defined in the study as comparing prices on a mobile device while in a retail store before purchasing.

The most common (57%) outcome from showrooming is a purchase from a brick-and-mortar store, whether it’s the one the consumer is standing in or another one with a lower price.

The next most likely outcome is for the consumer to purchase an item online later (53%). Generations under 55 are equally as likely to buy from one store or a competitor, while those 55+ are more likely to buy from the store they happened to be showrooming in.

Older generations are also more likely to use shopping comparison apps than younger generations, but younger consumers are more likely to read product reviews on smartphones rather than tablets.

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