Smartphones become major shopping accessory

Smartphone owners are becoming increasingly dependent on their phones to help them shop, according to a recent report from Nielsen—featured at webpronews.com. Nearly a third (29 percent) of smartphone owners use their phones while they shop. What’s more, many want the option to use their phone to pay for their merchandise.

The most popular activity for shoppers using their smartphone is price comparison. Countless apps in the iOS App Store and Android App Market allow users a myriad of ways to check prices of products at both online and brick-and-mortar retailers. Thirty-eight percent of smartphone owners check prices online while they’re in a store, and 38 percent also shop from their phones. Reading online reviews of products was the second most popular activity at 32 percent, while nearly a quarter (24 percent) look for online coupons.

Read the full report here.