More people than ever before are shopping online on their mobile devices, a new report from BuzzCity, commissioned by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), reveals.
Nearly half of mobile user respondents (48%) made purchases online regularly and nearly one in five browse products online before buying in stores. Taken together, more than 70% of mobile consumers shop online.
Mobile as a shopping channel is now on a par with PCs and a key to driving the change in consumer shopping behavior, the report noted. In some countries, mobile has even become the most dominant shopping channel. This is highly apparent in the Asia-Pacific region where mobile leads the way for shopping, as more of the population turn to mobile as their primary device.
The survey revealed that a third of consumers (32%) shop with their mobiles compared to a fifth (21%) with PC’s in the region. Further growth in mobile is expected as nearly one in three (30%) of those surveyed said that they would consider using their mobiles for shopping.
“Mobile as a channel has evolved very quickly but the challenge for marketers is to create a seamless shopping experience across all the channels to ensure that consumers are getting a consistent brand message and identity,” said Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director (APAC) at MMA.
The explosive rise of mobile as a shopping channel appears to have caught many retailers off guard. The survey records that more people are leaving stores without making a purchase for a variety of reasons. At least 22% left stores for a better deal online compared to 13% last year and 27% could not find what they wanted in stores compared to 14% in 2013.