The Holiday Season Must Have: Mobile

So many things remind us of the holiday season: The hanging of seasonal ornaments, the plans of travel taken to spend time with loved ones, the wafting scents of pumpkin spice, eggnog and pine. And of course, there’s those chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But there’s something new that lingers about throughout the holidays: It’s the mobile device.

A lot is expected of mobile for the 2012 holiday season. A newly released study by Deloitte reports that the rising trend of mobile commerce is highly noted during the holiday season and becoming increasingly prevalent when shopping year-round.

The Deloitte survey found that seven in 10 mobile phone users plan to use them for holiday shopping this year. The same study shared that smartphone owners will spend 72% more than those without smartphones. Additionally, the survey reported that 62% of these shoppers will use their devices to find store locations while 58% will use them to check and compare product prices.

Another recently released study by research and analytics firm Prosper Mobile Media found that 55.3% of mobile device owners plan to use their smartphones or tablets for holiday shopping this year to research or purchase products, locate stores, or assist with other shopping tasks.

A full 61.9% of those mobile holiday shoppers from the same survey said they would be using their mobile devices primarily for comparison shopping and making mobile commerce purchases.

In both studies, signs point to great engagement opportunities for brands that have made mobile a part of their holiday media plans.

Retailers that have emphasized mobile executions should pat themselves on the back for understanding the growing significance of the space. They can look forward to shoppers regularly engaging with their mobile devices while taking numerous low-funnel purchase actions this holiday season.