Does mobile drive shopping? Well, it depends.
According to research Google and Ipsos conducted over the 2011 holiday period, smartphone devices play a role at different parts of consumers’ paths to purchase, but they do so in different ways for different people.
For example, 41 percent of those who used their mobile phones to help with shopping said they purchase directly from the device itself, while 37 percent claimed to have researched on a phone before purchasing on a desktop. Meanwhile, 46 percent of respondents said they’ve researched items on a smartphone before going in the store to buy, and, interestingly, 19 percent have researched products both on a smartphone and in-store before purchasing online.
An interesting point to note from the 600-person survey is the number of users that went in-store to research but opted to purchase online instead. This likely reflects the cheaper price-points often offered online, but it suggests consumers still like to see products in person before committing to a purchase.
More in Media
‘The net is tightening’ on AI scraping: Annotated Q&A with Financial Times’ head of global public policy and platform strategy
Matt Rogerson, FT’s director of global public policy and platform strategy, believes 2026 will bring a kind of reset as big tech companies alter their stance on AI licensing to avoid future legal risk.
Future starts to sharpen its AI search visibility playbook
Future is boosting AI search citations and mentions with a tool called Future Optic, and offering the product to branded content clients.
Digiday’s extensive guide to what’s in and out for creators in 2026
With AI-generated content flooding social media platforms, embracing the messiness and imperfection of being human will help creators stand out in the spreading sea of slapdash slop.