More Than Half Of U.S. Consumers Plan To Use Mobile Devices For Holiday Shopping

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) is out with new data from its October 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing, which is the MMA’s monthly survey of U.S. adult mobile phone users.

With a focus on the upcoming holiday shopping season, the new survey found that 59 percent of mobile consumers plan to use their mobile phone for shopping and planning holiday celebrations, not including making phone calls.  Nearly 25 percent of all mobile consumers said they were using their mobile phone more for holiday shopping and celebrating this holiday season, compared with the 2009 season.

The new survey identifies ways that brands and marketers should respond to trends among the 59% of mobile consumers intending to use their mobile phones this holiday shopping season.  This year, for example, 64 percent of mobile holiday shoppers expect to use their mobile phone before going to a store, and 12 percent anticipate using their device to respond to a TV, billboard or newspaper ad.

Other key findings include:

  • Asians, Hispanics and adults ages 25-34 are the demographic groups most likely to use their phone to a great extent for holiday shopping and celebration planning.
  • Thirteen percent of mobile holiday shoppers expect to use their phone to purchase or pay for gifts (13%).
  • Searching for locations where a gift is sold, and comparing prices, are the two most common holiday-related tasks that mobile holiday shoppers anticipate using their mobile phone for.
  • Movies, music, consumer electronics and books are the top gift types that mobile holiday shoppers thought would be helpful to shop for using a mobile phone.
  • Among mobile holiday shoppers, Hispanics and Asians were more likely to think that toys or games would be helpful to shop for with a mobile phone.

“U.S. consumers increasingly view their mobile phone as their go-to device for shopping and managing their lives, and this survey shows how that trend will play out this holiday season,” said Peter A. Johnson, vice president of market intelligence, MMA, and author of the study. “Marketers, brands and merchants that ignore or underestimate this trend risk missing out on a powerful new opportunity for reaching and serving virtually every demographic group. The good news is that the October 2010 U.S. Mobile Consumer Briefing provides a wealth of insights that they can apply when developing and executing their 2010 holiday strategies.”