European Christmas shopping goes mobile
Two out of three European consumers expect to use their mobile phone for their Christmas shopping or to organise holiday season celebrations this year, according to research from the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and Lightspeed Research.
The 'Mobile Consumer Briefing' study of French, German and British consumers revealed that, aside from making telephone calls, 67% of all mobile phone owners expected to use their mobile device for their Christmas shopping and organising of celebrations (82% in France, 52% in Germany and 66% in the UK).
Furthermore, more than one quarter (26%) planned to use their mobile phone to assist their shopping activities more in 2010 than they did in 2009 (16% in France, 39% in Germany, and 23% in the UK).
The survey also revealed some of the most popular ways in which mobile phone owners planned to use their devices to help with Christmas shopping and organising:
- One quarter (25%) of European mobile Christmas shoppers intended to use their mobile phone to search for gift ideas;
- More than 1 in 10 (12%) planned to use their mobile phone to purchase or pay for gifts - highlighting a good opportunity for marketers to optimise their mobile marketing strategies.
There is also a clear connection between the mobile shopping experience and traditional shopping habits, with 52% of those using their phones for Christmas shopping expecting to do so before leaving for the stores (50% in France, 50% in Germany, and 56% in the UK), and over one third (39%) planning to use their phones while travelling to stores for Christmas shopping. Some 10% of mobile Christmas shoppers said they would even use their device while in a check-out line (3% in France, 14% in Germany, and 11% in the UK).
The survey highlighted several opportunities for brands and retailers to connect with consumers and make mobile part of the in-store experience, as 15% of those using their mobile phone as part of Christmas shopping expected to search for the location of, or directions to, a retail outlet.
"This research demonstrates a growing opportunity for European retailers to readdress the mobile channel to target customers," said Peter A. Johnson, vice president of market intelligence for the MMA, and author of the study. "Consumers are now using their mobiles for a number of shopping related activities which marketers need to be aware of when optimising both their mobile and in-store retail experiences."
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