Commentary

84% of Consumers Use Smartphones While in a Store; Retail Websites Top Apps

by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, August 13, 2015

Retailer apps are seen as convenient and fast but when it comes to making a smartphone purchase, the retailer website continues to win out.

In just about every category of mobile shopping, consumers turn to the retailer’s website on their phone’s mobile browser rather than using the retailer’s app, based on a new study.

Of those who use a retailer’s app, the majority (63%) see it as more convenient, faster (57%) and their because their settings are stores (40%), according to the study.

The study comprised an online survey of 500 consumers who used their smartphone to shop within the last three months. The survey was conducted by Forrester Research for RetailMeNot.

The continuing situation is that many shoppers turn to the retailer website rather than the app, which has been found in numerous other studies as well. This is even though those who use the app perceive it to provide a superior experience.

Using a retailer’s app, here are the shopping activities consumers performed on their smartphone in the past three months, according to the Forrester survey:

45% -- Locate a store or check store hours
31% -- Read customer product reviews
28% -- Compare prices
30% -- Purchase a product
30% -- Check status of an order
33% -- Find a coupon
28% -- Check product availability online
26% -- Check product availability in-store
28% -- Redeem a coupon

By contrast, using a retailer’s mobile website, here are the shopping activities consumers performed on their smartphone in the past three months:

66% -- Locate a store or check store hours
50% -- Read customer product reviews
45% -- Compare prices
43% -- Purchase a product
40% -- Check status of an order
39% -- Find a coupon
37% -- Check product availability online
34% -- Check product availability in-store
30% -- Redeem a coupon

Of course, those who use the retailer app may be the most loyal customers.

Whether using an app or mobile website may be less relevant than the overall mobile shopping picture.

The study found that 84% of consumers use their smartphones while shopping in a store.

mcommerce, mobile, research, retail

2 comments about "84% of Consumers Use Smartphones While in a Store; Retail Websites Top Apps".

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Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, August 14, 2015 at 8:54 a.m.
Since the survey's sample consisted of people who claimed they used their smartphones to shop----and did not include those who don't, it's a tad misleading to headline this article with "84% Of Consumers Use Smartphones While In A Store". In fact, the last figures I saw have smartphone penetration at only 75%. Also, the real question is what percent of sales are influenced in this manner? Or putting it another way, how often, relative to purchase occasions, are smartphones utilized while the buyer is in a store?
Reply

Chuck Martin from Chuck Martin, August 14, 2015 at 5:16 p.m.

Ppont well taken, Ed, though the questions you suggested were not part of this particular survey. We have written here about the mobile influence on sales (and I wrote an entire book on it, titled "Mobile Influence")