Nearly double of smartphone and tablet owners use their gadgets to research a product rather than buying it, market research company e-Marketer has said.
The company said, citing BIGresearch, that distinct demographic characteristics are emerging in the m-Commerce segment. A study found that more smartphone and tablet owners are researching products (80.80%) than purchasing them (41.4%).
The study also found that attitudes vary significantly among different age groups. E-Marketer said that a majority of US consumers surveyed by Barkley considered online shopping to be an important convenience, but a gap between generations emerged when mobile devices were introduced into the equation. The study showed that nearly twice as many under-35s vs older respondents agreed that being able to research and buy products on the go was a true convenience.
The company said that the inclination to make impulse purchases is higher in smartphone shopping, with half of the millennials surveyed admitting to the tendency.
According to a report by mobile technology company Myxer, a plurality of mobile buyers (37%) spent less than $5 per purchase, on average, said e-Marketer. It added that among the 18-to-24 set, 80% of the purchases were music downloads and only 3% were physical goods. The trend changed with age: 57% of those ages 35 to 54 bought music, while 11% bought items, said e-Marketer.
