In-Store Product Research Influences Most Smartphone Owners’ Decisions

September 11, 2012

This article is included in these additional categories:

Analytics, Automated & MarTech | Data-driven | Mobile Phone | Retail & E-Commerce

14% of American smartphone owners who have scanned or texted for product information while in-store say they made an unplanned purchase as a result, according to [download page] a September 2012 report from Vibes. Yet, an almost equal proportion (15%) report being dissuaded from making a purchase. Still, a plurality say that the product information they accessed made them feel better about the purchase they planned to make. Only 13% said the information had no impact on their decision.

Among the survey respondents who “showroom” (which the report defines as “using the store’s physical location as a showroom for products instead of a place of business”), 1 in 4 report having left a store and purchased from a competitor. This represents 6% of the total mobile population surveyed. 29% of showroomers later made a purchase from the store’s website, representing 7% of the total mobile population.

Results from a September Prosper Mobile Insights survey found that after comparing prices in-store, mobile users (both smartphone and tablet) were more likely to have purchased from another retailer’s website using their device than from the same retailer’s website using their device (25.9% vs. 17.1%).

Comparisons, Reviews Most Common In-Store Activities

Data from Vibes’ “Mobile Consumer Report: Understanding the Showrooming Shopper” indicates that the most popular in-store activities among smartphone owners are comparing the retailer to a competitor’s site (33%), looking up a product review (31%), and scanning a QR code for information (27%). Other, less common activities include researching the store’s site (20%), using the company’s application (17%), and sending a text for information (10).

8 in 10 Frequently Carry Their Smartphones In-Store

82% of smartphone owners report having their phones with them either always or often while in-store, compared to 65% of feature-phone owners. Smartphone owners also keep their phones with them while working (74%), watching TV (65%), sleeping (55%), during meals (44%), while exercising (38%), and even while showering (11%). Those figures are lower on all counts among feature-phone owners.

About The Data: The Vibes Mobile Consumer Report was conducted by the independent panel research firm, Research Now, and responses were generated from a survey of 1,006 mobile phone owners (including 603 smartphone owners) from an online opinion panel. All respondents are age 18 or older and living in the continental United States. The margin of error for the survey is +/-3.1%.

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