Consumers Arm Themselves With Information This Holiday Season

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to a new survey conducted by Q&A Research and marketing firm Thomas/Ferrous, Inc., more consumers are accessing online information to make smarter purchase decisions before taking out their wallets.

“This season, mobile shopping applications are providing information access directly at the store level, which may determine if some consumers actually walk out with a purchase.”

More than 90% of a national sample of adults planned to research online all or some of their shopping this holiday season. One-third of the sample anticipated increased online research over last year.

When asked what types of online research would be utilized, 81% reported price comparisons, 61% said product reviews, and 57% identified general product information.

More than three-fourths of respondents indicated that they conduct online research for both big and small-ticket items.

Mobile Phones Create a Store within a Store

Consumers are also increasingly using their mobile phones in ways that transcend the line between online and retail shopping.

More than one-fourth of respondents indicated their cell phone is capable of downloading applications. Of those respondents, 48% have downloaded a shopping application such as Amazon, Yelp, Yowza, etc. Among those respondents who have downloaded a shopping application, 50% of them report using that application while inside a retail store.

“Holiday shoppers are increasingly taking advantage of the tools and information that are now available,” says Jay Thomas, president of Thomas/Ferrous, a Sacramento-based marketing and design firm. “This season, mobile shopping applications are providing information access directly at the store level, which may determine if some consumers actually walk out with a purchase.”

The Q&A Research - Thomas/Ferrous Market Report came from a national panel survey of 400 representative households from the Q&A Research database of participants. Data is reported at the 95% confidence level, with a maximum sampling error of approximately +/- 5%.

Q&A Research, Inc. is a full-service marketing research firm located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Q&A offers a vast array of both quantitative and qualitative services to clients in the execution of local, national and international studies. For information, visit www.QAR.com.

Thomas/Ferrous, Inc. is a Sacramento-based marketing and design firm that provides a complete range of services in strategic planning, advertising, design and mobility solutions. For information, visit www.thomasferrous.com.