Shoppers turn to their smartphones for research

TORONTO — Most Canadians will be armed with their smartphones while shopping this holiday season and likely won’t pull the trigger on purchases without launching a few quick searches first, suggests new research released Thursday.

In an online survey of nearly 1,000 Canadians conducted last month, a majority of consumers said they planned to rely on their digital devices while shopping even more than they did last year, says a report prepared by Tapped Mobile, App Promo and BrandSpark International.

About 72 per cent of moms aged 25 to 54; 77 per cent of male consumers aged 25 to 54; and 79 per cent of young consumers aged 18 to 29 said they already use a smartphone or tablet as a shopping tool in stores.

The respondents said they most frequently pulled out their phone to compare prices, to search for coupons, or look up product reviews.

“Most consumers won’t leave home without their phone,” said Jed Schneiderman, president of Tapped Mobile, a mobile advertising company.

“Mobile is effectively the new sales clerk, consumers are using their phones to do a lot of research on devices. ”

Schneiderman said retailers need to make sure their websites load well on phones and tablets because a subpar experience could mean lost sales.

The survey results also suggest consumers are still lukewarm on mobile payments and aren’t eager to use their smartphones to pay for purchases instead of using credit cards or cash.