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46% of consumers plan to make fewer trips to retail stores this year

November 19, 2013

As consumers become more digitally connected than ever, savvy shoppers are using their mobile device to find the best deals for the holidays. The online shopping service PriceGrabber had released results from its second Winter Holiday Survey revealing that mobile shopping continues to rise, with 23 percent of consumers planning to shop using a mobile device this year, up 44 percent from 2012. When respondents were asked to select all the ways they plan to shop for gifts, 88 percent said they plan to shop online from a desktop computer and 47 percent said they plan to visit brick and mortar stores. Consumers are looking to shop efficiently, with 46 percent planning to make fewer trips to retail stores this year. Conducted from Oct. 17, 2013, to Oct. 31, 2013, this survey includes responses from 3,782 U.S. online shopping consumers.

“In order to stay competitive with the online marketplace, retailers are adapting to the increase in showrooming, enticing consumers to complete their purchases in-stores this year,” said Jeff Goldstein, president of PriceGrabber. “Mobile shoppers who research prices on their mobile devices will be able to take advantage of price-matching while in-store, scoring some of the best deals on holiday gifts this season.”

Consumers are becoming more comfortable making mobile purchases

Shoppers are becoming more confident not only browsing for gifts on their phone, but also making actual purchases; 23 percent said they would be comfortable purchasing all of their holiday gifts using their mobile device this year. Price point matters to 41 percent of mobile shoppers who said they are only comfortable purchasing items under $100; however, 33 percent indicated they would purchase both big- and small-ticket items. When shoppers were asked what types of items they feel comfortable purchasing from their mobile device, books, CDs, DVDs, and video games topped the list at 71 percent. Clothing ranked a close second at 70 percent. Additionally, most people are comfortable purchasing shoes from their phone or tablet, ranking third at 59 percent. About half of shoppers are content buying consumer electronics, toys, and event tickets on-the-go, while fewer shoppers are comfortable purchasing appliances and jewelry and watches.

“As retailers have created a more streamlined mobile shopping experience, consumers are getting more comfortable making purchases,” said Rojeh Avanesian, SVP of marketing at PriceGrabber. “Shoppers are looking for deals on items less than $100 and purchasing less expensive items through mobile, while they do research on more expensive items such as appliances on their computer.”

Mobile app downloads for the holidays

Mobile shopping apps have become an increasingly popular tool for consumers looking to save money, with 72 percent of smartphone owners saying they currently use between one and four shopping-related apps. Mobile app downloads are expected to rise during the holidays with 23 percent who plan to download new apps to assist in shopping for gifts. When asked what apps shoppers planned to download for holiday shopping this year, 61 percent said coupon apps; 55 percent said comparison shopping apps; 54 percent will download apps from their favorite retailers; 50 percent will download Black Friday and Cyber Monday apps to search for the best deals; and 44 percent will download apps with the ability to scan barcodes.

Apps vs. mobile web

While apps are great shopping tools for consumers, it is also important for retailers to provide a good mobile web experience. PriceGrabber asked mobile shoppers whether they usually shop via an app or mobile web browser, and 60 percent are split, indicating they use both. According to the survey, 33 percent said they shop via their mobile web browser and only 7 percent said they usually shop via an app.

Locations consumers shop via mobile

One of the advantages of having the internet at your fingertips is the ability to shop from almost anywhere. When asked where consumers are most likely to shop from their mobile device for holiday gifts, 82 percent said they will shop at home and 46 percent said anywhere they can; 37 percent of consumers said they will use their mobile phone to shop at work this season; 28 percent will shop while sitting in the passenger’s seat of a car; and 20 percent will shop while they dine at a restaurant.

Read more about consumer behavior.