Mobile

In addition, one-third of consumer’s online shopping time is now spent on smartphones and tablets. The ongoing xAd/Telmetrics U.S. Mobile Path-to-Purchase Study conducted by Nielsen also revealed that showrooming is not prevalent, with 77 percent of smartphone retail shoppers ultimately making their purchases in-store versus going online to try and find a cheaper price.

U.S. smartphone penetration is approximately 57 percent so it’s no surprise that consumers are using their phones to assist with shopping needs. What’s interesting is 16 percent of Hispanic shoppers are using their mobile device to make purchases compared to 12 percent of general market shoppers. This was revealed in the latest issue of The Checkout , an ongoing shopper behavior study conducted by The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research.

The home is where many kids encounter their first smartphone. A Grunwald Associates and Learning First Alliance study in November 2012 found that in 77% of surveyed US households with school-age children, someone in the family owned a smartphone, nearly equal to the penetration rate of PCs in such households.

There is no question that mobile is becoming an essential shopping tool for many US moms. According to a March 2013 survey from retail solutions company Alliance Data, more than half of surveyed mom internet users reported using their smartphone or tablet at least weekly for some aspect of shopping, whether it be research or buying. And 35% of respondents said they used their device daily for shopping purposes.

Mobile commerce is grabbing an ever-growing slice of the overall ecommerce pie. eMarketer estimates that 15% of all US online retail sales in 2013 will be made on a mobile device, an increase from 11% in 2012.

Spending on mobile marketing keeps rising, as brands learn the power of reaching consumers on these devices, and consumers become increasingly mobile-first.

The mobile marketing ecosystem generated $139 billion of incremental output to the U.S. economy in 2012, a significant surge from $48 billion in net sales previously reported in 2010. Over the next five years, this figure is set to skyrocket to $400 billion representing an annual growth rate of 52 per cent. To accurately assess mobile’s economic impact, both consumer (B2C) and business (B2B) mobile sales were measured against total U.S. sales in 2012, approximately $33 trillion. The data was reported in the “MMA Mobile Marketing Economic Impact Study,” commissioned by the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).

The Great Recession put a wide swath of US consumers on the money-saving path, and digital tools helped make bargain hunting all the easier. These are lessons consumers will not soon unlearn, according to a new eMarketer report, “Cheapskates Online: How the ‘New Normal’ Takes Advantage of New Technology.”

Experimenting with various mobile advertising tactics has helped CPG marketers stand out among other industries. As consistent spenders in the mobile advertising space, Millennial Media reported that from 2011 to 2012, the consumer goods vertical grew 235% on its platform. In addition, a study by comScore and Millennial Media found that the vertical’s primary goal of driving brand awareness is a core reason for expanded reliance on the mobile platform.

In the rapidly evolving mobile marketplace, there is heightened demand for standards and guidelines that unify the advertising industry and expand on current industry accepted ad units.

According to the report, nearly two out of three respondents (58%) regularly use their bank’s mobile app, while another 25 percent are aware of the app, but have yet to use it. In addition, 50 percent use their bank’s mobile-optimized web site, while another 26 percent are aware of the feature, but have yet to test it.

Mobile shopping has emerged as a strong cultural force worldwide and continues to have a profound impact on shopping due to shifting behaviors and attitudes. A new report by Draftfcb called “The Mobile Shopper: A 2013 Draftfcb Global Shopper Snapshot” confirms mobile’s march to dominance as a medium of choice for consumers.

Go anywhere, do anything smartphones have been a boon to social network users, who are now able to check in with their friends and family from pretty much any location that has Wi-Fi or cellphone service.

The mobile is moving well beyond its role as a communication device, becoming an enabler for a wide range of experiences from TV viewing to shopping to banking. And mobile connectivity is disrupting industries from retail to auto to finance and beyond. The consensus is that change is occurring at an astonishing scale and speed.

Mobile is having a major impact on the retail sector, as consumers use their smart devices to research and buy at home and in-store. The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, in particular, is responding by creating mobile apps, which give users more information on products, and often provide added features, such as games and interactive tools, related to CPG products.