UK Shoppers Love Smartphones and Buying Online

Smartphones have become a valuable shopping companion for consumers in the United Kingdom according to a recent survey from KPMG. The company recently released information gleaned from its annual Consumer & Convergence report, which surveys 9,600 consumers in 31 countries ranging in age from 16 to over 65. According to the report, 45 percent of UK respondents said they use their mobile devices to locate the nearest store, while 32 percent said they use it to research products and services. Our phones are also helping us get better deals and locate bargains, with 30 percent of UK respondents indicating that they use their phone for online coupons and almost one in five (19 percent) scanning barcodes to obtain more product information.

"From buying goods on their mobile phones to keeping up with friends on social networks, consumers are increasingly reliant on a range of technologies that perform important – yet often overlapping – tasks," said Tudor Aw, KPMG’s European Head of Technology.

"This new 'converged lifestyle' will have huge implication for retailers. The integration of various channels will become increasingly important as retailers begin to see many of their consumers move to online and application-based purchases. As the ubiquitous smartphones empowers the consumer retailers will need to understand the opportunities and risks that mobile devices present."

KPMG reports that the majority of those surveyed also prefer to shop online for certain goods. In the UK, 74 percent of consumers said they were more likely to buy flights and vacations online, while 77 percent prefer to buy CDs, DVDs, books and video games online. However, where groceries and luxury items are concerned, people still prefer to shop in store.

There's also a trend emerging that sees consumers becoming more comfortable having their online usage pattern and personal information tracked if it means they get something in return. According to the survey, 49 person of respondents in the UK said they are willing to be tracked if it means a reduced price, free content, or some other trade-off. However, consumers in the UK were said to be more reluctant than others when it came to mobile banking. When using a mobile phone the majority of respondents in the UK said they were concerned, either over the potential for credit card information to be intercepted by an unauthorized party (66 percent) or the threat of unauthorized parties accessing personally identifiable information (62 percent).  Only 27 percent said they had used some form of mobile banking in the past six months. This is compared to a global percentage of 52 percent.