77% of UK shoppers prefer to use their mobile device to purchase Christmas gifts
The mobile shopping revolution is now changing consumer behaviour in the last-minute dash for presents before Christmas according to a new report published by AdColony.
Festive shopping was traditionally the domain of the high street, but a preference for online shopping has now evolved into a mobile-first experience as more than three-quarters of UK people now prefer to use smartphones to purchase gifts.
Desktops are no longer at the frontline for Christmas shopping, 35% of the 450 consumers polled for the study said they now use mobile devices over PCs, laptops and tablets.
A third of shoppers are now also limiting their shopping experiences just to mobile, which could be due to an aversion to hectic physical shopping and the convenience of getting everything done via a portable device.
Consumers will give poor mobile experiences short thrift though as many are focused on navigating apps that are simple and intuitive and feature a smooth payment process.
Ads may also be playing a part in the rise as almost two-thirds said they would buy a product or service directly from an advert if what they were seeing was relevant to their interests.
The study found clothes shopping to be the most popular form of festive purchasing on mobile.
Travel, home goods, groceries and books are also among the most frequently bought items on smartphones.
Mobile is also supporting physical buyer journeys as 47% use smartphones in-store to compare prices while 38% peruse product reviews and a similar number take pictures to aid decision making.