Love in the Time of Mobile

56 per cent of males - and 42 per cent of females - would prefer to buy a Valentine’s gift using their mobile device than visit a bricks-and-mortar store, according to a study by mobile advertising firm Mojiva.

Meanwhile, 82 per cent of males and 77 per cent of females surveyed believed that a mobile device would make gift purchasing easier. 49 per cent of males and 37 per cent of females surveyed were willing to spend over $50 on a gift using a smartphone, although this number increased slightly on tablets, to 48 per cent for males and 40 per cent for females.

Going beyond Valentine’s day, the study found that that 77 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men surveyed had tapped on a mobile ad in the last 6 months, and that 50 per cent of women and 63 per cent of men surveyed had a higher opinion of brands that use mobile ads to engage consumers.  87 per cent of all respondents believed that mobile ads provide valuable information and 81 per cent of all respondents indicated that they would be more inclined to tap on a mobile ad if it were relevant to an upcoming event.

“Smartphones and tablets have become a key component of consumers’ lives,” the company stated in the report. “As adoption of these mobile devices continues to grow, they will provide sustained growth for mcommerce sales as consumers gain additional experience and confidence shopping with them. This shift in dollars will morph the retail landscape and consumer shopping experience. The proverbial ‘shopping trip’ may become a thing of the past.”