• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, August 26, 2013

Making a smartphone purchase looks like it’s still at the end the mobile commerce line.

In a new back-to-school shopping study, location analytics company Placed found that making a purchase was the lowest intended smartphone use.

The study reviewed how parents are approaching the back-to-school shopping landscape, including planning, advertising preferences and smartphone usage (See story).

When asked how they plan to use their smartphone for back-to-school shopping, deals tops the list, mirroring numerous other studies of mobile shopping behaviors.

The study also found intended smartphone usage in various different aspects of shopping.

• 49% -- Get coupons, discounts
• 39% -- Compare prices while in store
• 34% -- Access a retailer’s website/app
• 32% -- Find a store location
• 31% -- Make/reference shopping list
• 25% -- Get product information
• 21% -- Make a purchase

Making a purchase or using mobile payments is generally at or near the bottom of the list in most mobile shopping surveys.

Part of the reason for this obviously is that there are not a lot of large-scale mobile payment options adopted. Another part is that consumers are not yet conditioned to pay by phone, at least in the U.S. market.

But they are using phones throughout the shopping process and are on the lookout for deals.

Other surveys have shown that deals or discounts don’t have to be large to help sway a mobile shopper. They simply are looking for value delivered to them while on the go.

The Placed findings also again show that smartphone owners are proactive in using their devices to shop.

They look for coupons, compare prices, visit retailer websites and look for store locations. They generally are seeking additional information throughout the purchase cycle.

It will be interesting to see if the mobile shopper will be as proactive for making an actual purchase once it becomes easier and ubiquitous.