Eight in 10 (81%) smartphone users have used their smartphone to browse or look for products or services, according to [sign-in] a May 2011 survey from Prosper Mobile Insights. Data from the Prosper Mobile Insights Smartphone Survey indicates locating or a store or store hours (77%) is the second-most-popular of eight retail-related smartphone activities presented to respondents.
Reviews, Product Research Tie for 3rd
There is a significant drop between the popularity of store location and the popularity of the two activities tied for third place – reading customer reviews and researching specific products, both of which 58% of respondents have done via smartphone.
Receiving text messages with special offers (54%) and making a purchase (50%) follow. Only about one-third (34%) of respondents have scanned a QR code with their smartphone, while one in five (21%) have used their smartphone to write a customer review. Six percent have participated in none of the listed activities.
Smartphone Web Access Proves Popular
More than half (56%) of smartphone owners prefer using their smartphone, rather than a computer, to access the internet. Data also indicates another 35% do not prefer using their smartphone for internet access, while 9% don’t know.
1 in 5 Smartphone Users Can’t Live Without Texting
When asked what smartphone function they cannot live without, a leading one in five (22%) said texting, followed by internet (17%) and texting (16%). Twelve percent said they had no preference. Interestingly, only 8% of users cited calling (6%), which was ranked fifth overall.
More than Half of Users Say Smartphone is Their Life
Illustrating how important smartphones have become to their users, more than half of respondents (53%) say they use their smartphones for all functions, it is their life. Another 30% use smartphones for basic functions (call, text email) as well as some apps, while 17% just use their smartphones for basic functions.
Location Key Privacy Concern
Having their location tracked is the number one privacy concern (35%) of smartphone users, closely followed by someone accessing their personal information (31%). Another 22% cite their financial data being accessed, while 12% are concerned about tracking of their online behavior.
etailing group: 1 in 3 Smartphone Shoppers Often Accesses In-store Coupons
Almost one in three (31%) US smartphone owners who use their device for shopping frequently/often access promotional coupons in-store for in-store redemption, according to a March 2011 study from the etailing group and Coffee Table. Data from “The ‘Shopping Mindset’ of the Mobile Consumer” indicates this is the most common in-store usage of smartphones, beating other popular activities such as looking for competitive pricing on Amazon.com (29%) and at other retailers besides Amazon.com (26%).
Twenty-six percent also check product ratings and reviews.
About the Data: The Prosper Mobile Insights Smartphone Survey was conducted May 13-18, 2011 among 102 smartphone users on their smartphones.
