Mobile millennials can’t stand being parted from their smartphones, but that love hasn’t spread to using their devices for purchases … at least not yet.
A June 2015 study by MocoSpace and Social Lens Research shows that almost two-thirds of U.S. millennial mobile phone users said they did not make purchases on their phones.
Only 23 percent used the mobile internet to buy — and fewer than a fifth used apps when they did so.
Actually, millennials aren’t unique in this regard. For the most part, mobile shopping remains an untapped arena for smartphone users in every demographic.
What’s the hold up?
“While millennials may have the reputation of being more mobile-savvy, they still struggle with some aspects when it comes to shopping,” notes eMarketer. “Thirty five percent polled by MocoSpace and Social Lens Research said they would like to buy more on their phones but that it was too hard. Similarly, in a January 2015 study by Fluent, 36.4 percent of U.S. smartphone users ages 18 to 24 said mobile shopping was only easy some of the time or never easy, as did 38.7 percent of those ages 25 to 44.”
While “relatability” helps build engagement, it’s not the only issue.
“When Social Lens Research and MocoSpace asked millennial mobile phone users why they were more likely to buy from certain companies, one-third said it was because they had ads they could relate to,” notes eMarketer. “Similarly, ads that understood millennials’ values and priorities, respected their culture or invested in their community and favorite charities were each cited by more than a fifth of respondents.”
But it’s not the end-all-be-all. More than a third (35 percent) of respondents said not even relatability would currently boost their purchase intent.
