Any retailers still wondering whether they should invest in a mobile version of their website have been given a new incentive with the number of people making a purchase via their mobile phone doubling – to 25% – over the past year alone.
The finding is included in the Multichannel Retail Survey from Econsultancy, which also shows that 87% and of respondents “sometimes or always” see the ability to purchase from a retailer from different channels as important.
The study – which quizzed 1,000 consumers in the UK – shows that the number of consumers who have made a purchase on mobile has roughly doubled in the UK since 2011 from 13% to 25% of consumers, with those aged 18 to 34 at the forefront of the rise on 44%.
Retailers also need to be aware of the needs of consumers who are using their smartphone to enhance the in-store experience so they can provide the required information on their mobile sites, said the report.
Almost a third (32%) of UK consumers have used their mobile to find a retailer’s nearest store or opening times.
Consumers are also increasingly using their smartphones to shop around and research product information while in-store. Some 43% of respondents said they had used their mobile to compare prices and look at product reviews while out shopping, up from 19% in 2011.
The report coincides with the release of figures from Domino’s Pizza, which show orders from mobile phones accounted for nearly a fifth of all online sales.
Total sales for the group rose 7.9% to £136.4m, with e-commerce sales rising to rose by 39.3% to £62.8m and accounting for 58% of all UK deliveries.
