technology

US mums increasingly shopping on their phones – even in store

October 28, 2015

Mothers are turning to their smartphones to do the shopping - even when they're in store. – AFP pic, October 28, 2015.As well as the go-to tool for timing feeds, for digitally detailing every moment of development and for Googling potential symptoms of an illness, mothers are increasingly using their smartphones for making online purchases, too.

The US Mobile Mom 2015 survey, which polled the opinions of 1,117 mothers and mothers to be, shows that in the space of 12 months, there has been a 33% increase in online shopping via smartphone. Nearly two thirds (64%) of mothers now complete a purchase, rather than simply compare prices or search for coupons and other offers, via their handsets. Furthermore, 70% said that while in a physical store, they've reached for their phone to make a purchase, and 48% said they'd done so because the goods they'd come for were out of stock.

Over the past 12 months, the average new smartphone display size has increased significantly with 4.8-5.2 inches now becoming the norm whether on Apple or Android. However, despite bigger screens, shopping online with a phone is still difficult – 59% of moms surveyed said that entering text into fields on the screen was still a real challenge. Yet, the convenience is clearly outweighing visual shortcomings and it's unsurprising that four in 10 respondents cited one-click purchasing options as a boon in this respect.

"As we continue to watch the evolution of mobile shopping, particularly as mobile moms make the smartphone a more critical part of their purchasing behaviour, it's important for brands to understand that these screens have tremendous pull and influence," said Julie Michaelson, Head of Global Sales, BabyCentre.

Other mobile behaviours are developing into trends along digital mothers. Over half (56%) now admit to showrooming (up 14% from 2014) and there has been a 13% increase in the use of mobile and digital coupons – something 61% of moms now do. Likewise, nearly half (47%) of respondents said that they now use their device to photograph items that are potential purchases.

However, shopping isn't the only growing mobile mom trend. Numerous studies have pointed to women being the driving force behind the popularity of mobile and casual gaming, with a separate past study compiled by WildTangent of 1000 women either expecting a child or with children of differing ages (from infant to toddler to late teen) finding that 80% with a smartphone or tablet played a game at least once a week. – AFP, October 28, 2015.