How Smart Phones Are Helping Create a New Generation of Smart Shoppers

March 2012

Key Ideas
Two-thirds of smart phone owners use their smart phones to aid in their shopping, and over a third of do so while actually inside traditional retail stores. While at the point of sale for an item, one in ten smart phone owners report doing price checks before they buy. Based on data from a hybrid phone/online study conducted in December 2011 and February 2012 with a national sample of 314 smart phone owners, the survey found that sixty-six percent (66%) use their smart phones to aid in shopping, and thirty-eight percent (38%) do so while actually in a traditional retail store. Smart phone owners are about as likely to access shopping information in the store aisle (29%) as in the rest of the store (25%). While actually near point of sale, shoppers are most likely to:
Look up facts and features (15%)

Compare prices at different stores (11%)

Read product reviews on retail sites (9%) Compare prices at retailers websites (8%)

Data Collection
Every month since January 1971, the LJS National Poll has been tracking consumer trends and attitudes such as
Ease/difficulty of paying bills Cutbacks on spending for food, clothing, gasoline, medical care Major Purchase plans Household finances Perceived risk of layoff/job loss Personal savings behavior The economy and the nation as a whole Personal and household demographic characteristics

National Poll is based on a nationally projectable, probability sample of 500 U.S. consumers each month combining a proprietary method of telephone interviews and online survey respondents.

Data in this report come from the December 2011 and February 2012 LJS National Polls.
The LJS National Poll Report is published on a monthly basis and is available via email. The LJS National Poll is also an omnibus survey which can accommodate customized add-on questions for clients.

Detailed Data

Two-Thirds of smart phone owners become Smart Shoppers

Percentage of Smart Shoppers
Base: All Smartphone Owners n = 314

34% 66%
Smart Shoppers

Smart Phone Owners that Don't Use Phone to Aid in Shopping "Smart Shoppers" = Uses Phone to Aid in Shopping

Facts, Features, Reviews and Prices are key targets of Smart Shopper searches
BASE % of Smart Shoppers What They Did
Looked up facts or features Read product reviews on retail sites Compared prices at different stores Compared prices at retailer websites

SMART PHONE OWNERS (n = 314) 66%

SMART SHOPPERS (n= 208) 100%

47% 36% 35% 29%

72% 54% 52% 44%

Called friend or family for info

Emailed friend or family about a product Do side-by-side comparisons Found a digital coupon Read reviews on Social Sites Posted a question about a product on a social site Accessed a gift registry

28%
22% 22% 19% 17% 11% 5%

42%
33% 33% 29% 26% 17% 8%
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Facts, Features, Reviews and Prices are key targets of Smart Shopper searches
% of Smart Shoppers
Looked up facts and features Read product reviews on retail sites Compared prices at different stores Compared prices at retailer websites Called friend or family for info Do side-by-side comparisons

72% 54%

52%
44% 42% 33% 33%

Emailed friend or family about a product

Found a digital coupon Read reviews on Social Sites Posted a question about a product on a social site Accessed a gift registry

29%
26% 17% 8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%
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Smart Shoppers use their phones to pre-shop the stores and to assist while in the stores
Location of Activity
Before Arriving at the Store

Smart Phone Owners 54%

Smart Shoppers 81%

Store or Aisle (Net): In the Store, but not in the Aisle where the product is sold
In the Aisle where the product is sold After Leaving the Store 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 81% 57%

38% 25%
29% 15%

57% 38%
44% 23%

% of Smart Shoppers

38%

44% 23%

0%
Before Arriving at the store Store or Aisle (Net) In the store, but not in the aisle where the product is sold In the aisle where the product is sold After leaving the store

While actually in the product aisle, one in ten smart phone owners use their phones to price check products
% of Action in the Aisle
Looked up facts or features Compared prices (NET) Compared prices at different stores Compared prices at retailer websites Read product reviews on retail sites Called friend or family for info Do side-by-side comparisons Emailed friend or family about a product Found a digital coupon Read reviews on Social Sites Posted a question about a product on a social site Accessed a gift registry

Smart Phone Owners 15% 13% 11%

Smart Shoppers 22% 19% 16%

8%
9% 9% 6% 5% 4%

12%
13% 14% 9% 8% 6%

3%
3% 3%

5%
4% 4%
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While actually in the product aisle, 19% of Smart Shoppers use their phones to price check products
% of Smart Shopper
Looked up facts and features Compared prices at different stores Called friend or family for info Read product reviews on retail sites Compared prices at retailer websites Do side-by-side comparisons

22% 16%

14%
13% 12% 9% 8%

Emailed friend or family about a product

Found a digital coupon Read reviews on social sites Posted a question on a social site Accessed a gift registry

6%
5% 4% 4%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%
10

Contact Us
Leo J. Shapiro & Associates
153 West Ohio Street Chicago, IL 60654 (312) 321-8111

Owen Shapiro
312-321-8134 owens@ljs.com

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