60 per cent of UK smartphone users are using their mobile device to buy products, with 47 per cent buying products theyve seen in store via their smartphone, as mobile becomes an increasingly central aspect to the retail experience.

The figures come from Adsquares latest Mobile Audience Radar report, which found that 71 per cent of consumers never leave their smartphone when shopping, while 63 per cent couldnt spend Christmas without their smartphones.

Focusing in on the role of mobile in retail, the report noted that 48 per cent of consumers use mobile to navigate to and discover shops and 46 per cent do mobile price comparison while shopping. Two out of five shoppers have made use of mobile couponing services, while a third of shoppers have used mobile payment services.

While digital has often been seen as a rival to bricks-and-mortar stores, the report also detailed how mobile can augment and complement physical stores, with a case study showing how one of Germanys largest consumer electronics retailers increased store visitations and footfall by 49 per cent using mobile.

“Mobile has become a fundamental part of the consumer shopping experience,” said Daniel Rieber, director of marketing & communications at Adsquare. “For brands and businesses, its not enough to know if and how consumers are transacting using their smartphones.

“The key to success is to gain insights around context and exactly how, when and where consumers are interacting with brands, looking up product information and making purchase decisions via mobile.”