Smartphones to influence £18bn of high street sales made in 2013
SMARTPHONES will influence more than £18bn of high street shopping sales this year, a jump of 45 per cent from 2012, according to a research out yesterday.
The survey by Deloitte found that consumers who use their smartphones before or during their shopping trip are not only more likely to make a purchase, but also tend to spend more money.
“The device is an effective tool for retailers to encourage customers to buy more products and upgrade to higher value items, at a time when profit margins remain under pressure,” said Deloitte’s UK head of retail Ian Geddes.
The sectors that are benefiting from the trend are electricals, where 12.9 per cent of sales are influenced by smartphones, and furniture, where 10 per cent of sales are affected.
Healthcare stores and pharmacies are the least influenced sector – with only 4.7 per cent of sales influenced by smartphones – but are expected to increase quickly.
Despite the huge influence of smartphones on UK shoppers, less than a third of eventual purchases will be made directly on mobile devices – including phones and tablets – with Deloitte predicting consumers will spend £5bn, less than a third of the total influenced.