Reports: Consumers turning to mobile at all times

JiWire research shows that in Q3 2012 about two-thirds of shoppers are willing to spend $50 or more via mobile - that is a 25% increase over 2011 numbers. Meanwhile, most on-the-go shoppers (85%) are now using mobile devices in store; the study also found 86% are 'more comfortable' making mobile purchases now. That is an increase of 26% over 2011 numbers. While in-store, the number of people who will make a purchase through mobile is up 27% over 2011 numbers.

Other interesting findings include:

• 81% of public WiFi comes from free hotspots (US)
• Hispanic users are 36% more likely to engage in-store via mobile
• 65% of smartphone owners also own a tablet

"Smartphones and tablets are becoming mainstream personal shopping devices, making it even more important for marketers to understand their mobile audience," said David Staas, interim CEO at JiWire. "For example, Hispanics are very mobile-savvy and much more likely to comparison shop on their mobile device than the general population. How people use these devices has always been important, but understanding where people engage and how different audiences engage is equally important for marketers to be successful in mobile."

Meanwhile, shopping isn't the only thing changing thanks to mobile. Data from Usablenet shows during Hurricane Sandy, people in affected areas turned to mobile devices to find information and stay up to date with transportation, utility and telecom information.

During the storm mobile traffic:

• Increased 98% to airline sites
• Increased 16,000% to utilities sites - understandable since consumers don't regularly visit utilities sites
• Increased 495% to transportation sites
• Increased 126% to telecom sites

Tags: JiWire, mobile content, mobile marketing, mobile shopping, mobile trends, Usablenet