Your Holiday Season Side Kick: The Mobile Device

The 2012 holiday shopping season is now in full force! Depending on your perception of the burden or blessing that is seasonal giving, expect to see another few weeks of joyous (or hellish) deal hunting across these final weeks of the year.

While many holiday shoppers may have kept with the tradition of scarfing down Thanksgiving dinner early to strategize a plan of attack for in-store holiday deals, a notable number are looking for a less-crowded, no-wait digital option.

The Cyber Monday that once played a distant second fiddle to Black Friday has risen in popularity as more tech savvy folks embrace the opportunity to do their holiday shopping with the aid of digital devices.

The same can be said for general digital shopping vs. brick and mortar shopping. The National Retail Federation reports that 51.8% of US consumers will be doing their holiday shopping online this year. Many stores have embraced identical deals in-store and online, giving more people the option to turn towards their PCs, tablets and smartphones to fulfill their holiday shopping needs.

Even for those shoppers who prefer the in-store route, consumers can expect mobile devices to improve their shopping experience. CBS News released a smartphone app list to assist with in-store navigation and deal hunting. Noted app functionality includes checking prices, product searches, comparison shopping, mobile purchases and in-store floor maps, in addition to other conveniences. Major retailers who have created custom seasonal apps include Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Macy’s amongst others.

The holiday shopping season has primed the canvas for advertisers to embrace the mobile advertising space.  For brands that haven’t been sure about the value of mobile advertising in the past, this holiday season’s deeply engaged mobile audience will provide ample reason for consideration.