By Chuck Martin
Mobile shopping may not have any great age barriers.
It turns out that older shoppers are comfortable using their phones to shop, with a fourth (25%) of mobile shoppers in the U.S. being 55 or older, based on a new study.
The only other age group that accounts for a larger share of mobile shoppers are those between the ages of 25 and 34, according to a report by Business Insider Intelligence.
Aggregating various research studies, BI Intelligence analyzed the buying patterns by various factors, such as age, with males 18-34 among the most active. Here’s that breakdown:
30% — Typically use shopping apps on mobile phone
27% — Typically use retail store apps
25% — Have requested a price match using a mobile phone
25% — Typically use mobile to scan and find the best price in town
24% — Typically shop for and buy by mobile
The data showed that a smaller percentage of females were involved in the same activities.
28% — Typically use shopping apps on mobile phone
24% — Typically use retail store apps
21% — Have requested a price match using a mobile phone
20% — Typically use mobile to scan and find the best price in town
19% — Typically shop for and buy by mobile
The report found that 43% of men 18 to 34 typically shop on online auction sites and that men of all age groups are more likely than women to look for lower prices on their phones.
For overall online purchasing, 40% of males 18-34 said they would buy everything online, compared to a third (33%) of females.
The report noted that there’s a disproportionate share of middle-aged adults who shop online relative to the percent of the population who are that age. For example, 23% of online shoppers fall between 34 and 44 while only 18% of the population is that age.
While going to physical stores is still the main shopping choice, mobile activity is growing across the board, no matter the age.
Chuck Martin is Editor of the mCommerce Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily MobileShopTalk column. He is the author of “Mobile Influence,” “The Third Screen,” and “The Smartphone Handbook.” He is CEO of Mobile Future Institute. Chuck Martin is a frequent Mobile Keynote Speaker and Mobile Marketing Speaker internationally. He also addresses Social Media in Mobile.
