eMarketer: The impact of mobile phones on users' shopping paths

The proportion of users using smartphones and tablets to achieve shopping goals is increasing, but these devices play different roles in the user's purchase path. According to research by Google, Foresee, and Nielsen, shoppers use mobile channels to conduct product research and then complete the purchase in offline stores; they also use mobile phones to research products on the go and then purchase them through PCs or tablets.

Nielsen's 2011 Q3-Q4 U.S. Digital Consumer Report shows that 29% of smartphone users use their phones to engage in shopping-related activities. The most common mobile shopping activities include in-store price comparison (38%), browsing products through mobile pages or apps (38%), and reading online product reviews (32%).

A post-holiday study by Google and Ipsos OTX in 2011 showed that users use their smartphones at multiple stages of the shopping process. For example, 46% of smartphone users said they research products on their smartphones and then buy them in stores, and 37% said they research products on their smartphones and then buy them on their computers. Holiday shopping data shows that mobile devices have played an important role in users' purchasing process, regardless of the purchase channel.

Google's research also shows that 41% of smartphone users have researched products and completed purchases on their phones. This data is higher than that of other research institutions. For example, Foresee's data in January 2012 showed that during the 2011 holiday shopping season, only 15% of online shoppers used their phones to buy, and mobile phones are usually used as research and price comparison tools. However, Google/Ipsos OTX studied smartphone users, while ForeSee studied online shoppers, a large portion of whom may still use feature phones.

Whether users buy on their phones or other channels, Todd Pollak, head of retail at Google, told eMarketer that retailers need to improve the way they connect the mobile experience with the in-store or online shopping experience. Todd Pollak said that retailers' investment in mobile is still half a beat behind users.

Although the user's path to purchase in a multi-channel environment is still unclear, Pollak encourages marketers to consider factors such as the user's distance from the store, day and time. For example, tablet usage peaks after work, while smartphone usage peaks on weekends. Developing strategies based on this data can help mobile marketers provide more targeted and personalized marketing activities to drive user consumption.