Neel Mehta
Nearly one in four cellphone users plans to use mobile devices to do holiday shopping this year, according to a survey by the Mobile Marketing Association and Luth Research. With a busier-than-normal Black Friday predicted this year, mobile technologies might be a good way to avoid crowds.
The survey, October 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing, also found that demographic groups of adults ages 25-34, Asians and Hispanics were the most likely to use their phones for holiday planning and shopping. Most respondents said they primarily used their phones for price comparison and searching for locations where particular gifts are sold.
About 13 percent said they planned to purchase or pay for gifts using only their mobile devices.
“U.S. consumers increasingly view their mobile phone as their go-to device for shopping and managing their lives, and this survey shows how that trend will play out this holiday season,” said MMA VP of Market Intelligence Peter A. Johnson. “Marketers, brands and merchants that ignore or underestimate this trend risk missing out on a powerful new opportunity for reaching and serving virtually every demographic group.“
