Mobile shopping going Underground
During rush hour in London millions of people head underground for the commute to and from work. To keep themselves entertained, many are using their mobile devices to shop.
According to research conducted by Pay by Bank, more than 1.5 million London Underground (the “Tube”) passengers are shopping while traveling on a daily basis, most during their daily commute. For more than half (55%) shopping underground is an activity undertaken purely because it passes the time, followed by it being the most convenient time during the working day to shop (37%).
Nearly two-thirds (61%) purchase digital content such as music, books and movies – spending about £30 each every month. Some (37%) are even carrying out “lifemin” activities – researching and taking out insurance policies. Other popular purchases made while underground include clothes (61%), takeaways (57%), tickets for activities such as the theater (55%) and food shopping (53%).
Liam Spence, head of product for Pay by Bank app, believes retailers can capitalize on this consumer behavior by introducing “quicker and safer mobile payment methods”. As anyone who has traveled in rush hour on the London Underground will know, it is crowded and not the ideal environment in which to whip out a credit card and key in a long string of numbers – especially if you are one of the many standing up or using station wi-fi to check-out between stops.
