Commentary

Near Me Searching

Google recently revealed that “near me” mobile searches (e.g., “H&M near me” or “pizza near me”) have increased 200%. As mobile searching has exploded, it’s fundamentally changing the way people shop today.  Uberall polled +1,000 holiday shoppers in the US + UK to find out. 

Uberall, Inc., a location marketing solution for businesses competing to attract local brick-and-mortar customers, recently polled more than 1,000 smartphone users across the US and UK between December 7 and 11 to understand their “near me” preferences and behavior over the holiday season to date.

79% of all shoppers say they have already used a ‘near me’ search from their mobile device over the holiday season, or believe they will before the New Year. 21% have not done this type of search so far, and don’t anticipate doing so this holiday season.

  • Between US and UK shoppers, ‘near me’ searches were more prevalent in the US. Over the holidays, 83% of US shoppers have searched ‘near me’ while 75% did so in the UK.
  • Founder & Co-CEO of Uberall, Florian Huebner, says that “Consumers are increasingly using their smartphones to research places before they shop and are prioritizing proximity when doing so. Marketers must leverage a search strategy that lures shoppers who may not be directly seeking them out and are, instead, looking for the same category near their location.”
  • The study found that nearly 30% of shoppers have left a review of a brick-and-mortar store across sites such as Yelp, Facebook, Google, Foursquare, Instagram and more during the holiday season. Meanwhile, 71% of respondents have not

The study goes on to say:

  • 71% of respondents said they were likely to conduct a ‘near me’ search for the nearest restaurant (quick-service or fast-food) while out holiday shopping.
  • Just 15% said they were unlikely to do a ‘near me’ search, and 14% were unsure.
  • When asked how likely a shopper was to conduct a ‘near me’ search for the nearest bank or ATM while holiday shopping, 51% said they were likely, while 34% were unlikely and 16% said they weren’t sure, says the report.   

When asked how shoppers use their smartphones to help them shop during the holiday season, the top 5 responses globally were:

  • Compare prices (80%),
  • buy directly from the device (79%),
  • research products (72%),
  • check for store hours (71%)
  • and search for coupons and deals (65%).

Mobile is the key to the holiday shopping season, concludes Huebner. From ‘near me’ for brick-and-mortar to comparing prices, shoppers this time of year will rely heavily on their mobile devices to make their shopping experience easier.

 

 

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