comScore Mobile Retail Advisor report showed that 38% of smartphone owners used their phone to make a purchase at least once in the course of their device ownership.
The most popular products purchased on smartphones during the month of September included digital goods, clothing/accessories, tickets and daily deals.
comScore senior vice president for mobile Mark Donovan said fuelled by smartphone adoption, mobile is becoming a central part in the shopping funnel for many consumers,. "In September we saw two-thirds of all smartphone owners perform shopping activities on their phones, including comparing products and prices, searching for coupons, taking product pictures or locating a retail store. Considering there are currently 90 million smartphone owners in the U.S., retailers without a well-developed mobile strategy are not only missing a tremendous opportunity with these customers but also risk becoming obsolete in the minds of these digital omnivores," Donovan stated.
Digital content purchases, such as music, eBooks, TV episodes and movies, were the most popular mobile purchases in September with 47% of smartphone purchasers buying these items. 37% purchased clothing or accessories directly from retailer, while 35% bought event tickets. About slightly over a third of mobile purchasers bought daily deals and gift certificates on their device during the month, according to the research firm.
About 56% of smartphone owners bought while at home, while 42% of consumers made purchases out of home, of whom 37% percent made purchases while travelling/commuting. Over a third of purchasers used their smartphone to make a purchase while in a store, highlighting the increasingly important role mobile is playing in consumers’ brick and mortar retail experience.