52 per cent of  UK shoppers want to use mobile to checkout in store, with 42 per cent keen to use their smartphone to locate products, according to IBM’s 2012 Retail Survey.

It also found that 39 per cent would like to receive personalised promotions, 42 per cent will use mobiles to seek out lower prices and 44 per cent to find promotions. The desire to use mobile devices while shopping has more than doubled, increasing 138 per cent within the past year. 

IBMs study of 1,800 people in the UK and 28,000 worldwide showed that global consumers are now more willing than ever to share personal information with retailers for a tailored service:

• Media usage – 75 per cent 
• Demographics – 73 per cent
• Identification, like name and address – 61 per cent
• Lifestyle – 59 per cent
• Location – 56 per cent 

“Shoppers are keen to use their mobiles to scan products, check prices and receive previously scanned product promotions sent direct to their device. Mobile technology is set to change the 4Ps of marketing – product, price, place, promotion – as ‘personalisation’ becomes key,” said Martin Butler, retail industry leader at IBM UK and Ireland.

82 per cent of UK consumers said that social networks save them time in making a retail purchase. But participants still like the ‘touch and feel’ aspects of going direct to a store, with 83 per cent saying that they prefer to research online prior to visiting the shop to make a purchase.

Join us at Mobile Marketing Live, our new two-day conference, exhibition and networking event being held at Londons Business Design Centre on 1-2 October