Smartphones are increasingly being used as a retail companion. New data from Nielsen suggests approximately 60 percent of smartphone owners used their devices for shopping purposes over the 2011 holiday season.

Some of the most popular mobile retail spots include Amazon, Best Buy, eBay, Target and Walmart – shoppers used both mobile apps and websites optimized for handsets to access these brands. Target and Walmart were most popular among females, whereas Best Buy skewed male. Amazon and eBay were popular among both genders.

"Retailers need to think of their business as a multichannel environment that can potentially include mobile, online and brick-and-mortar stores," John Burbank, president of strategic initiatives at Nielsen, said. "Winning with shoppers requires a consistent experience across channels that reinforces the values you represent as a retail brand, whether it be price, service, reviews, selection, style or other key attributes."

Mobile shopping is picking up steam in other countries as well. For example, separate research from Netcomm found mcommerce was up 210 percent in Italy last year.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Tuesday, March 20th, 2012 at 9:30 am .