The average UK smartphone user accesses just four apps on a regular basis, according to research from user experience agency Webcredible. Those apps are most likely to be for practical and useful purposes, such as journey planning, searching for locations, or booking tickets – and the most successful apps were, logically enough, those which had become part of a user’s daily routine. 

90 per cent of respondents have used their phones while commuting to get quick, necessary shopping tasks done – but none of the participants said they would make an expensive purchase on their phones, due to the limitations of a small screen for viewing images.

“The growth in the number of smartphone users accessing online retail sites and apps presents both an opportunity and a threat for retailers,” says Trenton Moss, Webcredible founder and commercial director. “Mobile access provides more opportunities to engage with consumers, but it also empowers consumers to easily research and compare between competitors at the point of sale. Our research was designed to discover the underlying natural behaviours of users – we found that some key behavioural patterns are widespread across multiple segments of society, revealing trends that retailers can use to build great mobile user experiences.”

The research accompanies Webcredibles Mobile Shopping Behaviour whitepaper, which can be downloaded for free here.