Commentary

Who Is Doing the Shopping Using Smartphones & Tablets?

by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, April 4, 2013

Have you ever wondered whether mobile shopping behaviors will end up split in some way or if spending patterns ultimately will resemble traditional retail spending patterns?

While some early research shows that people are using mobile devices to shop, in various forms, there may be a divergence in behavioral spending, adding to other differing mobile actions and habits.

There already is somewhat of a difference in certain mobile behaviors. For example:

Some people scan barcode and price match in stores, others don’t.
Some use mobile payments like PayPal and Square, others don’t.
Some use check-in apps like Foursquare, others don’t.
Some use airline travel apps, others don’t.

When we wrote in this space yesterday about how much people spend using smartphones and tablets, it raised the question of who is actually doing the spending.

One reader (thank you, Kevin) observed: “Until someone shows me different, here's how I interpret this (and dozens of prior studies like it): people who can afford smartphones and tablets have more discretionary income than those who are "stuck" with laptops...therefore they spend more…”

Now along comes a new piece of research somewhat in support of this view.

According to a study by Unity Marketing, more than half of affluent shoppers are using mobile for shopping research and nearly 40% use their mobile device to purchase.

This does not say that most people with smartphones and tablets are affluent, but that those who are affluent are using smartphones and tablets for commerce. (The frequency of purchase was not addressed.)

The market is still somewhat split, with smartphone-feature phone penetration at 55% to 45%, with smartphone percentages projected to continually increase.

When a large majority of consumers have smartphones, do you see mobile shopping behaviors becoming a mirror of online and retail today or something different?

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Save the date dept: The MediaPost mCommerce Summit is coming: June 16-19, in Kohler, WI. The agenda.

mcommerce, mobile

4 comments about "Who Is Doing the Shopping Using Smartphones & Tablets?".

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Gabe Elliott from Vision Media Interactive, April 4, 2013 at 5:07 p.m.
I dont agree with the thought that all smartphone owners are by default, affluent. I can count a number of people and acquaintances in my own personal circle that are low income and have at least one smartphone. In fact, one family I know has been unemployed for several months and yet both him, his wife, and 13 year old son have smartphones.
Not sure how that's even possible but it does show the crazy prioritization that people have made on the need for a smartphone.
Reply

Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, April 4, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.

Good point, Gabe, though many affluent likely are smartphone owners, as well as others, like you point out. Moving to somewhere round the 70 percent penetration range eventually may be an indicator that it will be the default phone. Also, less expensive smartphones are coming to market. Then there is the cost of the data plan...

Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, April 5, 2013 at 7:25 p.m.

"Wonder where your retirement went
When you pay for data plans with your rent!"

Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, April 5, 2013 at 7:55 p.m.

Good one, Paula.