No offense, but retailers have their eyes on you, couch potatoes.
They see mobile shopping increasing this year, and it’s frequently being done from smartphones or tablets while consumers are on the sofa.
This holiday season, 44 percent of all last-minute December searches, both for gift ideas and store locations, will come from mobile devices, predicts ShopRunner.com. The consumer website also forecasts 15 percent of all searches made on Black Friday will come from mobile devices.
Of course, consumers like to do more with shopping applications than just prep work — they love to purchase.
Fiona Dias, chief strategy officer at ShopRunner, said mobile shopping is edging in on traditional brick-and-mortar sales this year.
“The one thing that is so different this season is the rise of tablets. Last year the iPad was [only] 5 or 6 months old during the holidays,” Dias said, implying this season’s numbers — which include other tablets and phones — will be a better indication of how significant shopping apps are becoming.
“The iPad is already half of everyone’s mobile traffic or sales, and there’s not that many iPads. It shows that people who own iPads become shopaholics,” she joked.
According to the National Retail Federation, 15.3 percent of 45- to 54-year-olds made a holiday purchase last year with a mobile device. That jumps to 26.4 percent of those 35 to 44 years old.
Sandy Springs resident Jenny Schmitt has used ShopSavvy, RedLaser, mobiQpon and other apps to save money throughout the year and finds them especially useful during the holiday season.
The 40-year-old has saved money on everything from Gu Energy Gel she saw at a sporting goods store but found cheaper via Amazon’s app, to jewelry she eyed in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood.
“I took a picture of a piece of jewelry, found out the manufacturer, and found it cheaper through ShopSavvy up at Perimeter,” Schmitt says. “It was a $17 difference — $17 is worth it for me to pack up and drive to get it.”
Schmitt, founder of Atlanta-based marketing firm CloudSpark, advises app-using shoppers not to be tempted by sales that sound too pushy or are available only for a limited time. Shoppers should do their research, she said, and finding the right app can empower consumers in their holiday shopping.
“You know when you get on a plane and you look around and you wonder, ‘What did they pay for their seat?’ It’s kinda like that when I go into a store,” Schmitt said. “Get the best price you can. You become a smarter consumer by having mobile shopping apps.”
Get holiday shopping tips and updates on Lauren Davidson’s blog: blogs.ajc/atlanta-bargain-hunter/
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APPS TO CONSIDER
• For rewards
CardStar: Keeps all your store loyalty cards in one place. Also receives localized deals. Free; Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Ovi, Windows
Shopkick: Earn rewards, like iTunes gift cards or restaurant vouchers, for checking in at stores. Also can donate your credits to 30 different charitable causes. Free; Android, iOS
• For comparison shopping
Buzzillions reviews: Scan product bar code to find reviews and compare prices. Free; Android, Blackberry, iOS, webOS, Windows
Google Shopper: Bar code scanning feature compares products and reviews, but also accesses daily deals and prices in nearby stores and online. Free; Android, iOS
• For saving time
Milo local shopping: Learn if your store has a product in stock and compare prices. Free; Android, iOS
SaleLocator: Finds nearby discounts. Search via map, list, category or by holiday to find sales and get store directions. Free; Android, iOS
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