Shoppers swayed to spend by mobile connectivity

Mobile shoppers want options, and not just when they are clicking and buying through the mobile screen. According to a Q4 study of the mobile audience by JiWire most consumers will shop at a brick-and-mortar store offering in-store WiFi than a store not offering the same connection.

"Mobile has increasingly become the screen of choice as smartphones and tablets are becoming personal shopping devices," said David Staas, President, JiWire. "We're now seeing how mobile is influencing consumer retail shopping behaviors both onsite and offsite. This broad use of mobile is revealing tremendous insights into audiences, allowing brands, retailers, and advertisers to understand their mobile consumer in ways never before possible."

Other interesting findings include:

• 86% of Gen Xers (age 35-44) are influenced to shop with stores offering free WiFi
• Q4 2012 saw mobile wallet adoption surge by 38% (vs. Q1 2012)
• Women are more likely than men to use mobile to price compare, look for product reviews or search for deals/coupons when shopping in-store
• 84% of US mobiles prefer ad-supported WiFi vs paid WiFi

Smartphones/Tablets now account for 58% of public WiFi usage.

And don't look for mobile consumers to stick with only the devices they have now or upgrading devices as necessary. Researchers found that 72% of tablet owners already plan to purchase a second device.

Tags: JiWire, m:commerce trends, mobile commerce, mobile trends, showrooming