JiWire Reveals US Mobile Trends on the Connected Shopper

80 per cent of US mobile consumers are influenced by the availability of in-store wi-fi when deciding where to shop, according to mobile ad platform JiWire’s Q4 Mobile Audience Insights Report,  with shoppers aged 35-44 the most keen.

Smartphones and tablets now represent 58 per cent of all public wi-fi usage, up from 38 per cent in Q4 2011.  84 per cent of mobile consumers prefer free, ad-supported wi-fi rather than paid-for wi-fi or paying for a higher speed connection. 79 per cent of US public wi-fi market is free or ad-supported.

Women are more likely to use their phones in-store, outranking men in seven mobile usage activities, including price comparison, product reviews and searching for deals or coupons.  Mobile wallet usage increased 38 per cent from Q1 2012 with PayPal as the leader.

“Mobile has increasingly become the screen of choice as smartphones and tablets are becoming personal shopping devices,” said David Staas, president of JiWire. “Were now seeing how mobile is influencing consumer retail shopping behaviours both onsite and offsite. This broad use of mobile is revealing tremendous insights into audiences, allowing brands, retailers, and advertisers to understand their mobile consumer in ways never before possible.”