Mobile Shoppers Now a Significant Majority

Back in 2012, when mobile shopping was really getting started, eBay took an unexpected and some might say very exciting step forward. It teamed up with bliss spa to offer a Black Friday experience light most no one had ever seen before: a spa day which allowed users to shop for Christmas gifts by mobile device.

It was often considered a success, and ever since, people have been turning to mobile devices to shop. A new study from CTA reveals just how far it’s gone: two out of three shoppers now turn to mobile devices.

CTA notes that there are a lot of steps in the shopping process, from gathering information to paying for the purchase, and all of this is on the rise. This doesn’t just mean shopping directly from a mobile device, but using that mobile device to make a payment in a brick-and-mortar outlet.

Sixty-seven percent of shoppers started out by searching product information out online, and better than 90 percent turned to mobile to find various discount and deal opportunities.

Websites still lead apps, even if said apps are mobile-optimized, which is an unexpected twist. Subscriptions are proving a much greater draw, as 90 percent of surveyed users have at least one subscription in place. Though brick-and-mortar’s influence is declining, it’s still the weapon of choice for shoppers as 61 percent of shoppers will make purchases in stores first.

This should be a useful note for a lot of the commerce field; brick-and-mortar shops aren’t out of the fight yet, but need to learn how important it is to allow that mobile connection. Meanwhile, mobile commerce operations need to focus on value in order to continue breaking users away from the established patterns of brick-and-mortar store shopping.

It’s the kind of news that encourages everyone to improve, and that’s valuable in the long term as consumers get more options from businesses trying frantically to one-up the competition.

Mobile shopping of all stripes is changing shopping as we know it, and these changes bring both problems and opportunities to the field. Addressing these issues accordingly will produce new value for both retailers and shoppers alike.