Mobile marketing agency Briabe Media has announced the findings of its most recent survey, highlighting the growing upsurge in mobile usage when it comes to Christmas purchasing, writes Martin Conway.

Interviewing 12,000 mobile users, sourced from mobile web entertainment site MocoSpace, the survey found that 62 per cent of respondents were likely to use their mobiles for product research prior to entering the store, while 46 per cent plan to use their mobiles in-store to compare product prices. Additionally, while only 14 per cent of respondents said they currently use mobile coupons, 30 per cent were more likely to take advantage of these during the holiday season.

However, the survey also shows a widening age-based gap when it comes to consumer preferences. Americans under the age of 30 would appear to be buying more this Christmas, with 59 per cent of under-19 and 52 per cent of 20-29 year-olds expected to spend more this year. In contrast, 53 per cent of respondents in the 30-39 year-old bracket plan to spend less this year, as do 62 per cent of 40-49 year-old respondents.

Casey Jones, VP of marketing and music at MocoSpace, comments: “This survey demonstrates the value of reaching young shoppers during the holiday season, as they are the ones looking to open their wallets more than last year. It’s also quite interesting that mobile phones have become a crucial shopping tool, especially earlier during the ‘buy cycle’.” Jones credits this to the popularity of smartphones with “increased browser speeds and faster access to data”.