Increasingly, consumers are using various devices to not only to search but also purchase. This report from Unique Digital and YouGov shows how we are more inclined to use mobile to buy.
42% of people research and purchase items via smartphones and tablets, says YouGov study
Alsmost half (42 per cent) of UK online consumers now use smartphones and tablets to search and purchase travel and financial goods online, according to a report from Unique Digital and YouGov.
The ‘I need it now’ survey of 2,034 adults found that consumers were more willing than ever to purchase products online via smartphones and tablets, consigning PCs and laptops to the bench.
Now, a quarter of consumers complete instant transactions on a smartphone or tablet rather than searching and completing their purchases in-store or on a PC or laptop.
Most notably, 42 per cent of respondents said they have bought travel or financial goods on mobile or tablet whereas 37 per cent claimed they only use the devices to compare prices – but will hold off on buying.
Over half of respondents said they had booked a hotel through a smartphone.
Phil Stelter, managing director of Unique Digital, said: “Our research shows that we are at the start of an all-commerce age: terms such as Ecommerce and Mcommerce are set to be consigned to the dustbin of history. The days of consumers just researching items on mobile devices are gone: purchases are being completed on the same device with increasing regularity now.
“Brands need to take advantage of this trend by focusing on the data collection that unifies their understanding of a new mobile consumer and campaign planning that delivers messaging and experiences which don’t try to dictate how consumers should interact with their brands.”
The increase in consumers spending via tablet and mobile was one of the drivers behind the spike in mobile advertising in the last year, with the IAB stating that mobile advertising grew 68 per cent – from £429m to £707m in 2014.