The increase in the number of tablets could be the boost that mobile commerce needs to take off, according to a survey conducted by the company Ipsos. The Ipsos data indicates that tablet owners are the most likely to buy through the web, perhaps due to an improved shopping experience for these devices. According to Ipsos, tablet owners also spend more than smartphone owners.
Ipsos also presents a group of consumers called “double owners” – those who own both tablets and smartphones. These consumers, Ipsos determines, buy twice as much as those who only own a smartphone. Those who own both articles made more than 20 purchases on the web during the past year.
Among smartphone owners, 70% said that the mobile device had little or no impact on their spending. In some cases, they indicate, they may have spent less than they would normally spend. Most of the so-called “double owners”, however, pointed out the opposite. Sixty-three percent of respondents who own both tablets and smartphones said they probably spend more money due to online shopping.
According to Ipsos, most of the “double owners” are men with high incomes, which may be a reason for the increase in spending. Ipsos survey data suggest that the tablet may be a more conducive and enjoyable means of making purchases online than the smartphone, and that adding to a tablet makes smartphone owners more likely to buy through of the mobile. Approximately 25% of the double owners said that they prefer to buy on a website through tablets, instead of using a smartphone.
The popularity of mobile purchases via tablet can mean that the shopping experience on devices like iPads is preferable to that of smartphones. A study conducted by the e-tailing group e-commerce consultancy indicates that tablet owners are slightly more satisfied with their online shopping experiences than smartphone owners. Eighty-eight percent of tablet owners are, at least less “somewhat” satisfied with their shopping experiences compared to 73% of smartphone owners.
The increase in the number of tablets sold, as well as the increasing sophistication of these devices, could usher in a new wave of m-commerce.