Two-thirds of consumers use mobiles to help Christmas shopping


9 Dec 2010

Sixty-seven per cent of European consumers expect to use their phones for Christmas shopping and organising celebrations this year, not including making phone calls, new research suggests.

According to the Mobile Marketing Association and Lightspeed Research, 26pc of French, German and UK consumers will use their phones to assist with Christmas shopping more than they did last year.

A quarter of survey participants will use their phones to search for gift ideas and one in 20 will use their phones to pay for gifts.

Some 52pc will use their phones for Christmas shopping before heading out to stores and more than a third will use the phones while travelling to shops. Ten per cent plan to use their phones in the checkout line.

Fifteen per cent of shoppers will use their phones to search for the location to a retail outlet.

The researchers noted these results highlighted opportunities for brands to connect with consumers and their phones in-store.

“The findings from the latest research demonstrate the growing opportunity for European retailers to readdress the mobile channel to target end users,” said Peter A Johnson, vice-president of market intelligence, MMA, and author of the study.

“Consumers are now using their mobiles for a number of shopping-related activities which marketers need to be aware of when optimising both their mobile and in-store retail experiences.”

“These findings demonstrate the importance of mobile devices when planning and shopping around the holiday season,” said Ralph Risk, Lightspeed Research marketing director, EMEA.

“In the same way that 10 years ago the internet on the desktop changed shopping habits, mobile phones are now leading the way for consumers to shop on the move.

“Marketers, brands and retailers that ignore or underestimate this trend risk missing out on a powerful new marketing opportunity,” said Risk.