The smartphone is transforming the shopping experience. In a recent study conducted by research firm IDC, 69% of respondents agreed that the smartphone is a critical tool for shopping and 70% said they plan to use their smartphone for shopping in the coming year.
Moreover, seven in ten respondents said they check prices using their smartphones, and 50% said they check reviews from their smartphones.
This, however, may prove challenging to brick-and-mortar retailers.
The IDC mobile research shows that one in five survey respondents bought from a competitor while they were shopping in a retail store this holiday season. One in three respondents indicated they purchased much more online versus in a retail store this year compared to last year.
The app and mobile Web activity of over 10,000 smartphone users was analyzed during the holiday shopping season. Among retailers, Amazon dominated, with far more consumers accessing its app, mobile website, or both, than any other retailer. Brick-and-mortar retailers significantly lag behind Amazon when analyzing smartphone users' propensity to use a brand's app and/or visit the mobile website.
“The smartphone is at the center of our lives, with most of us unable to be without it for even a couple of hours. By combining the insights from both the survey and mobile behavioral data, it is clear that, for a significant number of us, the smartphone is now also a critical shopping tool, our own personal concierge to help us shop intelligently,” said Allan Fromen, vice president and consulting partner for IDC's global Buyer Behavior Practice.