Thirty-eight percent of smartphone owners have used their device to make a purchase, according to a study from comScore.
In comScore’s “Mobile Retail Advisor” report, the study looked at how consumers are interacting with their smartphones when buying a product and which items they are buying. The study also looked at where users were located when they bought via mobile.
“An increasing smartphone audience base has helped build a solid foundation for growth in mobile shopping, and consumers are continuing to embrace the convenience of mobile to shop whether it be during their commutes, at home or in-stores,” said Sarah Radwanick, manager of marketing communications at comScore, Reston, VA.
“Many retailers are also ramping up their mobile presence offering applications and specific mobile sites that make the shopping and purchasing process more user-friendly for consumers,” she said.
Mobile buys
The comScore study looked at particular categories and which areas consumers were buying from on their smartphones.
According to the study, two in five mobile users own a smartphone, making mobile shopping available to 90 million Americans.
Forty-seven percent of consumers who purchased items on their mobile devices bought digital products from their devices, including songs, eBooks, images, movies and television shows, showing the tie between ecommerce and mcommerce.
For clothing and accessories, 37 percent of consumers bought items directly from retailers via mobile.
Tickets were also a big category with 35 percent of smartphone owners surveyed saying that they have purchased tickets on their devices.
Delivery and pick-up food was a big category with 31 percent of consumers saying that they have used their smartphones for mobile ordering.
Bigger-ticket items were also popular with consumers, and 24 percent of respondents said they have booked airplane tickets on their smartphones.
Additionally, 24 percent of consumers surveyed said they have paid for car rentals on their devices.
Location is key
The study also found that 56 percent of consumers surveyed said that they had made mobile purchases at home, which is interesting for smartphone purchases that are stereotypically thought to be made while on-the-go.
Forty-two percent of smartphone owners purchased items on their devices while out and about at places including schools and restaurants or at work.
Thirty-seven percent of consumers purchased items while traveling, and 36 percent of users bought items via mobile while in-store.
The comScore study is proof that mobile commerce has become more mainstream than to just be used for product research.
For example, a study from Compete recently found that 25 percent of shoppers plan to use their device to purchase items from a mobile site this holiday season (see story).
“Smartphone adoption is a key factor in the advancement of mobile shopping,” Ms. Radwanick said.
Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York