52% use cellphone to help in purchasing decisions
33 per cent employed their phone specifically for online information, a new study says
CBC News
Posted: Jan 30, 2012 1:16 PM ET
Last Updated: Jan 30, 2012 4:29 PM ET
Half of adult cell phone users use their devices to help make retail purchasing decisions in a store, says a new study. (Associated Press)
More than half of cellphone owners used their mobile devices while they were in a store during the 2011 holiday season to help with purchasing decisions, according to a new U.S. study.
"These findings show that the growing availability of smartphones and other mobile devices has dramatically changed the shopping experience," said Aaron W. Smith, of the Pew Research Centre's Internet & American Life Project.
"Consumers are frequently using their phones to make sure they get the most highly-rated product at the best price, and in many cases they are willing to go elsewhere or delay their purchase until they find the right combination of value and quality."
The study found that while they were in a store:
- 38 per cent of cellphone owners used their phone to call a friend for advice about a purchase
- 24 per cent used their phone to look up reviews of a product online
- 25 per cent of adult cellphone owners used their phones to compare prices of a product online
Just over half (52 per cent) of all adult cellphone owners used their phone for at least one of these three reasons while one-third (33 per cent) used their phone specifically for online information — either product reviews or pricing information.
The findings are based on telephone interviews with 1,000 adults between January 5-8, 2012.
The Pew Research Centre is a non-profit think-tank based in Washington, D.C.
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