Nearly 50% of 18-34 Year Olds Buy Via Mobile

The proportion of UK shoppers using a mobile device to make a purchase has doubled to 25% this year, from 13% in 2011, with young consumers leading the uptrend in the segment as the most active mobile shoppers, according to a survey I came across this morning.

Nearly half of UK consumers aged between 18 and 34 have ended their mobile visit to an e-commerce website by making a purchase, a survey conducted by Econsultancy reveals. A similar percentage of consumers in this age group claimed they have used their mobile device to compare deals online. This is well above the 21% share of 35-54 year olds in the UK that have used a mobile phone for shopping, while among those older than 55 shopping via mobile has been tried by 8%, the results show.

eConsultancy conducted the same study in the US as well, generating similar results in terms of mobile shopping growth and engagement by age groups.

The study also showed that when it comes to buying a product that is not available in a particular shop in the UK, mobile is the least used solution. The most popular option is simply visiting another retailer. Second comes conducting product research online when going back home, while the third most popular solution is ordering the product in the first shop. Less than 10% would use their phone to try to find the product.

While the rise in mobile shopping is yet to reach dramatic levels, the number of consumers making purchases through their mobile is increasing at a fast pace, attracting more converts each year.