Shopping via mobiles on the up

But retailers are lagging behind in technology supporting services, says research

Consumers want more effective mobile shopping tools

Use of mobile phones to compare prices and look up product reviews is a growing user trend, but businesses still need to modernise their service offering, according to recent BT research.

The telecoms giant polled 1,000 mobile phone users in the past three months and revealed that 45 per cent have used the devices to browse for goods or services, while one in three have price checked or searched for a review of a product or service and one in five have made an actual purchase online in the past three months.

Even though consumers still prefer buying physical goods in person, they are increasingly turning to the online channel to get the cheapest deal, says the report.

“Broadband on the move is bringing about a change in consumer behaviour. The days of the internet being something for the home are over,” it says.

However, retailers still need to match their offerings to customer’s expectations. The report has shown that most businesses have not yet developed mobile versions of their websites.

One in five of those surveyed felt that retailers should introduce sites specifically designed for mobile use. Some 39 per cent said they should be easy to navigate and 25 per cent said they needed to load quickly.

“Retailers should take advantage of the fact that customers may now have access to the Internet while in-store and, for example, use their WiFi connections to deliver expert advice via a store intranet channel,” says the report.

The report also stated that people want fit-for-purpose content that offers as sophisticated an experience on their handheld device as they are used to on their PC.

“Many businesses are in danger of being caught on the hop. Consumers’ expectations may be outstripping the reality being offered by businesses,” it said.