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RESEARCH OVERVIEW2014

Making sense of mobile shoppers

RESEARCH OVERVIEW: MAKING SENSE OF MOBILE SHOPPERS

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Making Sense of Mobile Shoppers

Introduction

Consumers have clear brand, product and shopping preferences. Retailers understand this and strive to create experiences that take advantage of these preferences. Digital has largely failed to understand the delicate relationship between the retailer and customer, replacing it with blunt force retargeting that dazes, dismays and disturbs customers.

When it comes to shopping, today’s consumers have more options than ever in terms of products, prices and convenience. Smartphones and tablets mean online shoppers are no longer chained to their desktop computers and can research and purchase from the palm of their hand. Mobile commerce is providing new capabilities and consumers are starting to exhibit clear preferences for how they use their various devices for different shopping activities.

Understanding these preferences creates a whole new world of opportunities for marketers. The following report describes a number of mobile shopping behaviors based on a survey of more than 1,000 people.


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When shopping, more is moreSurvey results indicated that 25-34 year olds are the most likely to use multiple devices while shopping, with respondents over the age of 65 being the least likely.

In general, multiscreen shopping is catching on and that means marketers need to be thinking more broadly and creatively than they have in the past.

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

63.30%66.10%

58.10%

48.20%44.30%

28.70%

Do you ever use multiple devices in the course of shopping for a product?

75%

25%


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Who is smartest with smartphones? Respondents ages 25-34 are the most active when it comes to using their smartphones for shopping. For most people searching is the number one activity – except for some boomers who are most likely to use their phones to browse a specific shopping site.

Search for products

Research products

Browse a retailer site

Purchase products

How do you use your smartphone?

88%93%

78%73%

83%

66%

74%

60% 60%

75%

68%

81%78%

82%80%

65%

82%

75%80%

66%

55%58%

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 55 - 6445 - 54 65+

72% 71%

100%


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Tablets? That’s not so easyTablet usage, on the other hand, is all over the map when it comes to mobile commerce. Consumers between 18-24 are the most active when it comes to searching for products (88 percent), those between 25-34 year olds are the most likely to use a tablet to research a specific product and to make a purchase. The youngest consumers showed a decline in engagement – highest for searching but the lowest for tablet shopping.

Search for products

Research products

Browse a retailer site

Purchase products

How do you use your tablet?

88%

80%84%

77% 78%81% 83%

73%77%

81%

69%

88%

74%78%

86%84%

80% 81%86%

81%

64%

81%

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 55 - 6445 - 54 65+

81%76%

100%


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Search:everyone’s doing it!The 18-24 set are equal-opportunity searchers with 88 percent reporting that they search on both smartphones and tablets. Respondents ages 25-34 years old are more likely to search on their phones (93 percent) than on tablets (80 percent). The tables turn as searchers age with those ages 35-44 preferring tablets (84 percent) over phones (78 percent), ages 45-54 prefer tablets 76 percent over 71 percent preferring phones, and ages 55-64 chose tablets 77 percent versus 73 percent choosing phones. Those over the age of 65 the tables turn again with 83 percent reporting they search on phone and 78 percent saying tablet.

Which device do you use for search?

Phone Tablet

88% 88%93%

80% 78%

84%

71% 73%

83%78%76% 77%

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 55 - 6445 - 54 65+

100%

50%


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When it’s time to dig deep, no small screen will doAcross the board, tablets are the devices of choice when it’s time to research a specific product.

It’s truest for the 55-64 age set where 61 percent report using their phones and 77 percent using their tablets. That’s the biggest delta of any age group. The smallest is among those over the age of 65, where 75 percent use their phones and 81 percent tablets.

Which device do you use to research a product?

Phone Tablet

66%

81%

74%

83%

72%

81%

60% 61%

75%

81%

73%77%

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 55 - 6445 - 54 65+

100%

50%


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Browsing by deviceYou’d think that when it came time to browse a retailer’s site or app everyone would be turning to their tablets.

That’s true in some cases but certainly not for everyone. Respondents ages 35-44 years old are the most likely to use a tablet over a phone (86 percent versus 80 percent) but the biggest delta is among 45-54 year olds (tablets 84 percent and phone 65 percent).

78%74%

82%78% 80%

86%

65%

82%

75%

81%84%

80%

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 55 - 6445 - 54 65+

Which device do you use to browse a retailer’s site or app?

Phone Tablet

100%

50%


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When it’s about shopping, tablets are topsAmong every age group tablets edge smartphones when it comes to making purchases.

Among 18-24 year olds the gap is the smallest (68 percent phones versus 69 percent tablets). It’s largest among shoppers over the age of 65 (phones 58 percent and tablets 81 percent).

100%

50%

68% 69%

81%

88%

77%

86%

55%58%

81%81%

66% 64%

18 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 55 - 6445 - 54 65+

Which device do you use to make mobile commerce purchases?

Phone Tablet


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What people are looking for mattersThere are some categories that are searched more on one device than another.

For example, 62 percent of people search for media (music, movies) on their phones, compared to 55 percent on tablets. For bigger ticket items like airfare or travel, tablets fair better. When it comes to airfare, 47 percent are searched on a tablet versus 45 percent on a phone. Searches falling under “other travel purchases” show a 47 percent preference for a tablet versus 44 percent on the phone.

Which device do you use to search for the following products?

Phone Tablet

26%30%

47%44%

47%45%

47%

52%

42%46%

49%52%

55%

62%

Clothing Electronics TravelShoes Airfare ToysMedia

75%

25%


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When it’s time to spend, people spend on tabletsWhat people are buying hardly matters; it’s clear that people prefer buying on tablets. In key categories tablets come out on top by a wide margin.

Which device have you used to purchase the following products?

Phone Tablet

24%

18%

39%

25%

42%

26%

31%

20%

35%

22%

40%

30%

57%

46%


75%

25%


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Phones aren’t connectingWhen it comes to searching versus buying on phones, the gaps are huge. For example, while 52 percent of people report using their phones to search for electronics, only 20 percent actually make purchases. 75%

25%

Users report wide deltas between search and shopping on their phones.

Search Purchase

18%

30%

25%

44%

26%

45%

20%

52%

22%

46%

30%

52%

46%

62%



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For tablets the gaps are much smaller. Are they there? Sure, but even for electronics the gaps less than half the size it is on the phone (47 percent search versus 31 percent purchase) and in the case of media more people (57 percent) purchase media than search for it (55 percent). 75%

25%

The gaps between search and purchase are much smaller on tablets.

Search Purchase

24%26%

39%

47%

42%

47%

31%

47%

35%

42%40%

49%

57%55%


Tablets are a shorter line from point of search to point of purchase


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So what does this mean?

Conclusion

For every audience there is an opportunity to reach and influence them as they travel through the purchase funnel. Understanding consumer behavior on different devices can help marketers tailor and target their approach more effectively.

Most consumers are satisfied with any screen when conducting simple searches, with tablets enjoying a slight edge among those in their mid-30s to mid-60s. As consumers look for more detailed information on a brand or product there’s a marked shift to the larger tablet screen.

Another change happens as people begin engaging with a retail site or app. With the exception of 45-54 year-olds (who

really seem to love their tablets), most people are comfortable using either phones or tablets. When the time comes to actually make a purchase, people prefer their tablets – and that is true among every age group and for every product category included in this research.

The bottom line is that consumers of all ages are turning to mobile devices to discover new products, find more information on the products they want, browse for purchase opportunities and ultimately buy.

Understanding who does what on which device will help marketers make the most of the growing tide of mobile commerce.


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About SociomanticSociomantic Labs drives incremental sales at scale for e-commerce marketers with programmatic display advertising solutions for desktop, Facebook, and mobile. Sociomantic’s proprietary Streaming CRM technology enables marketers in 60 countries worldwide to harness the value of CRM and other first-party data assets to deliver individually personalized dynamic ads for retargeting, prospecting and loyalty campaigns — helping marketers turn real-time data into real-time ROI.

Methodology

Sociomantic commissioned a study, conducted by independent research firm ResearchNow, polling 1,000 consumers on their device preferences.

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