Deloitte: Smartphone Shoppers Help Retailers

By Rob Starr, Content Manager, Big4.com

Smartphones may be among retailers’ strongest allies this holiday season, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday survey of consumer spending intentions and trends.

Half (50 percent) of consumers surveyed own smartphones, and nearly 7 in 10 (68 percent) plan to use their phones for holiday shopping this year. These shoppers will primarily use their devices to get store locations (62 percent), check and compare prices (58 percent) and obtain product information (50 percent).

Nearly half (48 percent) of the shoppers surveyed will make social media part of their holiday shopping process. Among this group, more than half will tap into social networks to look for discounts (54 percent) and research gift ideas (53 percent), while 47 percent plan to read reviews.

When shopping online, 47 percent of consumers surveyed indicate that low prices are most important when shopping a particular retailer. Online shoppers surveyed also expect some free perks: More than 7 in 10 (71 percent) shoppers surveyed say they are more likely to shop online from retailers who offer free shipping, and 56 percent say the same about retailers who offer free returns.

Consumers are expected to rely on a blend of traditional and digital information sources as they track down information about the holidays this year, according to Deloitte’s survey.