15% consumers now use mobile devices to purchase

COLUMBUS,USA: Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc company, and Demandware, Inc., today announced the findings of a new retail study examining consumer preferences and attitudes surrounding mobile shopping. The study found that consumers are increasingly turning to mobile devices to add depth and convenience to their in-store shopping experience; however concerns around security and ease-of-use threaten progress.

The independent survey of 3,600 U.S. consumers reveals that 15 percent of consumers have used their mobile devices to make purchases. While nearly all (96.2 percent) of consumers surveyed own a mobile phone, just under half owned a smart phone, which are designed to deliver a more optimal shopping experience. The study revealed interesting trends surrounding how consumers are looking to their mobile device to support their in-store shopping experience. For example:

Also read: Tata, Future Group launch GSM mobile service

--  More than 60 percent believe that being able to use their mobile phone while shopping to verify product availability at a particular store location is important to very important.

--  Nearly a quarter of shoppers use their phone while in a store to competitively price shop an item.

--  Approximately 20 percent of consumers currently use their phones to create shopping lists or baskets, and slightly more than that number would be interested in a mobile app to help with shopping list or

    basket management for their favorite retailers.

--  Two thirds are interested in the possibility of using their mobile phone to scan and purchase items, thus enabling them to bypass checkout lines.

--  A quarter of shoppers believe that receiving specials/promotions (such as coupons) would be an important use for their mobile phone when shopping, although they were less enthusiastic about receiving advertising via their phones.

Also read: eBay acquires RedLaser

"Mobility is more than a channel, and as consumers begin to use mobile devices in all aspects of their shopping process, cross-channel will be essential for retailers to succeed," said Jim Bengier, global retail industry executive for Sterling Commerce. "Today's consumers are transforming the shopping experience with their mobile phones, and retailers who have not broken down their siloed channels will not be able to keep up."

"While the increasing consumer adoption rate of mobile devices has long been recognized by retailers, these survey findings suggest that offering mobile access to the brand is no longer just a 'nice to have'; it has become a necessity," said Jamus Driscoll, vice president of marketing at Demandware. "The mandate for retailers is not only to create a mobile channel to give consumers more options, but also to find innovative ways to leverage mobile to influence consumer shopping and purchase behavior across all sales channels."

Also read: Nokia is the most searched online brand in India

Other findings of the survey continued to highlight consumers' concerns around security and ease-of-use with mobile devices. Respondents cited the following concerns:

--  Internet non-connectivity (40 percent),

--  Difficulty with the small screen size (34 percent) and therefore difficulty in visualizing the products (31 percent),

--  Security issues (28 percent),

--  Slow interaction with the retailer website (22 percent), and

--  Difficulties in entering information due to a small keypad (21  percent).

Although security issues were mentioned as a concern by only 28 percent of respondents, the top solutions that would encourage more mobile phone purchases all deal with security.