Smartphone use while shopping remains indispensable for majority of consumers
Most German consumers are increasingly using their smartphones and tablets to research products and compare prices while they’re in stores. According to the study, 72 percent say their purchasing behavior is significantly influenced by these versatile mobile devices.
A third of consumers already state that they want to use smartphones for payment transactions. These are the findings of the "Connected Commerce 2015" study by digital agency Digitas LBI, for which over 1,000 German consumers were surveyed by market research institute IFOP on their purchasing behavior.
"German consumers use their smartphones to help them with their everyday shopping. Before actually buying a product, they are gaining personal advantages by researching products and comparing prices, getting opinions from friends and acquaintances and finding out about independent customer reviews on the Internet," says Anke Herbener, CEO of Digitas LBI in Germany and Switzerland. "Retailers can no longer ignore this new buying behaviour and should see the digitalization of consumers as a real opportunity. True to the omni-channel principle, customers should be inspired by brands and retailers anytime and anywhere. The consistent introduction of mobile payment solutions as alternative payment processes paves the way to the digital future. Simplicity in terms of the usability of smartphone apps and mobile payment can positively increase the purchasing decisions of digitally savvy customers in stores."
Smartphones have a serious influence on purchasing behavior
Customers are increasingly using mobile devices to obtain product information before they go to the checkout. Half of consumers (51%) specifically search for product information on their smartphone while they are in a store. Compared to the previous year, this proportion has increased by around 19%. Although the use of tablets is significantly lower at just 16% of consumers, it has doubled compared to the previous year.
Of all respondents, 72% confirm that smartphones have fundamentally changed their shopping behavior in stores. 35% of consumers state that they frequently and "definitely" use their mobile device to research products and compare prices as soon as they are in a store. This purchasing behavior is slightly more pronounced among women (36%) than men (33%). Almost one in two consumers in the 18 to 34 age group (46%) use smartphones as a matter of course in the purchasing process.
Great potential for mobile payment
According to the study, mobile payment in stores is not yet widespread among consumers. 91 percent have never used their smartphone for payment transactions at the checkout, although 53 percent own smartphones equipped for this purpose. However, should mobile payment become more popular in the future, more than a third of consumers (34%) can already imagine using mobile payment as an alternative payment method.
Customers get their friends' opinions in-store via smartphone
The most important task in business to date has been the opinion-forming function of mobile devices. 42% of consumers state that they ask their friends and family about a product via a messenger app. Almost one in ten (9 percent) do this frequently. A further 41% send a photo to their friends, while 34% use the mobile internet to search for further product details and customer reviews. Price comparison is equally important for 41% of smartphone users in stores, while 11% regularly do this before buying a product. A third (33%) do not use the search functions via the browser, but instead use a smartphone app from online retailers or retail chains.
Consumers use online product reviews before buying a product
Customer reviews in online stores or on retailers' product pages are also a significant source of information for consumers in stores. 76% of 18 to 34-year-old consumers read the reports and reviews of other buyers before buying a product. As many as 36 percent of them obtain information directly in the store. Overall, 61% of all consumers find out about the product in question online before buying, while 23% use their smartphone in the store to do so.
Methodological notes
The "Connected Commerce 2015" study by Digitas LBI was conducted in a total of 17 countries, including Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates and the USA. The current survey was conducted by the French opinion and market research institute IFOP with a sample size of 1000 Internet users aged 18 and over in each country. Further details on the study here.
