Survey says consumers intend to buy more gifts on mobile devices in 2014

E-commerce firm MarketLive has released results from its annual online shopper survey for the 2014 holiday retail season, according to an article on Retail Customer Experience. Survey results show 36 percent of shoppers intend to buy gifts via their mobile device, up 29 percent from last year, and 49 percent will make purchases based on a social referral, mandating that retailers focus on the experience they provide their customers via these two channels.

The 2014 MarketLive holiday shopper survey consisted of a random sample of 1,000 U.S. consumers who had shopped online at least four times within the past year, own a smartphone, and typically spend $250 or more online annually. The sample was balanced 50 percent male and 50 percent female, and all questionnaires were completed during September of 2014. Median age of the sample was 40.6, median household income was $66,146, and 61 percent attained a college degree or higher.

Some of the results from the survey include:

70 percent of shoppers are likely to research on their smartphones the gifts they find in retail stores
56 percent are likely to reserve products from their smartphones for subsequent pick-up at retail store
30 percent have made a purchase via social in the last year, an increase of 12 percent over 2013
49 percent will make a purchase because of a social referral
44 percent intend to discover new products via social networks
52 percent feel it is important to review products they have purchased
48 percent say it is important to share product recommendations with friends/family via social channels
42 percent will pin items on Pinterest