A survey by Millennial Media has found that over 13m consumers accessed retail content on their phones in a given month in 2010, with 2.2m saying they accessed some kind of retail content every day. 

According to the study, 21 per cent of respondents made a purchase on their mobile phone in the given period. These purchases do not include apps. 

The Mobile Intel Series: Retail survey, a collaboration between Millennial Media and comScore, also found that mobile retail users tend to be more affluent that the total mobile audience. 

“It has become imperative for retail brands to commit to a mobile strategy to connect with these consumers where they are currently researching, comparing, and purchasing products,” says the report. 

According to the report, consumers are using their phones throughout the retail experience. 52 per cent said they use their phone to decide on whether they need to buy a product, while 38 per cent said they use their phone to actually make the purchase. 12 per cent said they then use their phone to evaluate the product after purchasing it. 

The most common campaign goals for using mobile is brand awareness (42 per cent), according to the report, with increased foot traffic (29 per cent) and sustained in-market presence (22 per cent) in second and third. 

For advertisers, 29 per cent said they used mobile for sustained in-market presence, while 27 per cent said they wanted to generate leads. 24 per cent used advertising to promote a product launch.