According to a report in a recent survey, around two thirds of all smartphone owners shop on their mobile devices, underlining the unprecedented rise of shopping on mobile phones and tablets. The study, which was conducted by comScore, which is an analysis and data research firm, discovered that most of the owners of smartphones browsed the internet and made purchases on their smartphones during this September, and that the most popular purchases were digital media. The recent years have seen the use of mobile phones increase dramatically, as the number of cell phones in the US has surpassed the population of the country itself. People have started using their phones to do much more than just talk; also using the devices to browse the internet, view media such as music and videos and also make purchases online.
A wide array of media choices such as movies, TV shows, games, eBooks and music are available for the users to purchase and download straight to their devices. The survey by comScore underlined the appeal of mobile media, reporting that almost half of mobile users bought and viewed digital media on their devices. It was also revealed by the survey that many users used their phones to regularly browse websites which provide their customers new deals and discounts on online purchases every day. Mobile users are catered to by sites like Living Social and Groupon, which offer deals and services which are available for a limited time and has to be bought online; they also provide their customers with vouchers and coupons on their mobile phones themselves.
It is expected that more of these deal sites will crop up with time in order to serve to different types of customers, as the trend of mobile shopping gathers pace. However, it isn’t only the online shopping experience which is being transformed by mobile devices they are also making their presence felt inside retail stores. Almost a third of all the mobile users who were surveyed stated that they used their phones to access information about products when in a brick and mortar store, to compare different prices, finding coupons and finding locations of retail stores. Many stores are also looking to integrate mobile applications and devices on their sales floors during this holiday season, in order to provide better service and experience to shoppers.
