Mobile Technology Use Among Shoppers Rises as Retail Habits Change

The survey, conducted in March and April 2015 with nearly 7,000 Synchrony Bank cardholders and random shoppers nationwide, gathered insights on how customers view mobile technology for shopping and what they expect in their mobile retail experience. Key findings of the third annual study include:

Almost 50% of survey respondents are now shopping using a mobile device.
Almost one-third are purchasing a product after seeing it on social media.
Approximately one-third of survey respondents indicate that text offers would drive an incremental shopping visit.
Value propositions, including free shipping, loyalty programs and personalized offers, continue to be important.

Results show that the use of mobile technology by shoppers continues to climb, with adoption growing among key segments of the population – 45% of all respondents said they used a mobile device to perform a shopping-related task (researching, sharing, purchasing and reviewing) in 2015, up four percent from 2014, and nine percent from 2013.

As mobile usage increases among all shoppers and across all devices, retail habits are changing. Mobile device usage for purchases is steadily increasing – 18% of respondents now report using a mobile device to make a purchase, up from 16% in 2014, and 12% in 2013.

Social media continues to be an important channel for retailers to drive sales and engage with customers. With 85% of consumers accessing social media and 45% following brands via social media channels, social media is important to driving engagement. Thirty percent of all age groups report purchasing a product after seeing it on social media and the numbers are higher for younger shoppers – 52% of Millennials and 42% of Gen Xers.

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