Smartphones herald a new era of smart shopping

According to new research from PriceGrabber.co.uk, smartphones have created a new type of shopper, ladies and gentlemen let me introduce you to the, “smartshopper.”

The smartshopper doesn’t just use their smartphone to browse the internet for bargains they also use it as a bargaining tool in store, and it’s the big ticket items that the smartshopper is buying. With the research finding that 20% of shoppers who makes purchases from their mobiles have spent more than £100 on mobile phone shopping spree in the last three months.

Of the 908 online shoppers that were asked about their mobile shopping habits, 66% owned a smartphone or another web-enabled phone. Of the consumers who shop from their mobile, nearly half (48%) claim that the convenience of having the Internet with them wherever they go is their number one reason for smart shopping.

PriceGrabber.co.uk’s research found that of the consumers that own a web-enabled mobile phone;

• 24% compare or check prices from their mobile phone
• 22% research product details and specifications from their mobile phone
• 16% purchase online from their mobile phone
• 9% check product availability
• 5% access online discount vouchers

When it comes to most popular mobile purchases, research revealed that of the consumers who purchase online from their mobile phone…

• 59% purchase digital content for mobiles (ringtones, Apps and music/video clips)
• 52% purchase consumer electronics, such as GPS, MP3 players and digital cameras
• 45% purchase computers, laptops and peripherals
• 45% purchase books
• 33% purchase clothing

“Smart shopping is one of the most exciting developments in retail as it enables customers to literally take the Internet into the store with them,” commented Justin Sedgmond, business director at PriceGrabber.co.uk. “Shoppers now use multiple channels to engage with retailers. The winning retailers will be those that have put themselves in a position to respond appropriately to consumers on every platform they wish to engage.”

So if you see a person coming in to your store with a smartphone then go and grab them as they’re going to spend more than a feature phone, but be prepared to drop your prices.