A study of UK consumers has revealed that 63% of UK consumers will use their mobile for Christmas shopping this year. The survey by Tripwire of 1000 employed consumers also revealed a quarter of respondents are willing to spend over £100 on mobile retailing, and three percent are willing to spend over £1000. It also found that 30% of consumers admit to being more impulsive when purchasing goods via their mobile, a trend retailers may be gearing up to exploit.
According to respondents, mobile Christmas shopping is likely to take place while travelling (45%), while at work (41%), when socialising with friends (22%) or while at a party (11%).
The survey also looked at the differences in attitudes towards mobile shopping between men and women and revealed that 68% of Christmas mobile shoppers are women, compared with 55% of men. Women also say they are more impulsive mobile shoppers (33%) than men (25%). However, more men believe the convenience of mobile shopping overrides security concerns (40%), compared with woman (36%). Men are also more likely to purchase items while they are at a party (14%) than women (9%).
So how does this play out in the real world? Well, Tripwire asked Angie Mousicos, a media assistant and mobile shopping enthusiast. She said: “I have been doing mobile shopping for a couple of years now and I’m surprised it hasn’t taken off sooner. I find shopping on my mobile really convenient as I can do it on my way to work or while I’m out with friends. It’s a much faster way of shopping, which is great when you’re impulsive like me. I haven’t actually had any bad experiences with mobile shopping but I don’t use mobile security and if I did ever lose my phone I’m sure whoever found it could quite easily gain access to my confidential information.”
