While women are stereotyped as shopaholics, when it comes to mobile shopping, males are outpacing their female counterparts by a good margin, according to a Mobile Shopping Insights study by InsightExpress.

Of upmost importance is the mobile phone?s close proximity to consumers while they shop. In comparison to other places where mobile phones are used, it is apparent that shopping and mobile are a natural fit. In InsightExpress?s June 2010 Digital Consumer Portrait study, four out of five people reported using their mobile phone while they were shopping, with mobile shoppers surprisingly skewing male.    

?The typical mobile shopper is not the typical shopper,? said Joy Liuzzo, senior director of marketing and mobile research at InsightExpress, New York. ?Retailers need to understand who they are reaching now and their mindset to adapt their strategies to meet the needs of the consumer.  

?Men ages 25-34 are the powerhouses when it comes to using mobile to help them shop while in the store,? she said. ?They are comparison-shopping, reading reviews, looking for and using coupons on their phone more than any other demographic?sometimes as much as three times more.

?These behaviors have typically been associated with women shoppers and certainly not an influential demographic like men ages 25-34.?

A lot of that has to do with the fact that men overindex as early-adopters of smartphones.

?We see a correlation with smartphones and I believe that the device capabilities are driving the behaviors of this consumer,? Ms. Liuzzo said. ?If you can be more informed in store, all while using something at your fingertips, why wouldn?t you??

Mobile shaping shopping behavior
The evolution of shopping has taken some interesting turns over the years, according to InsightExpress.

From heading to the bazaar to haggle over prices, to hearing the tinker coming down the road, to walking around the mall, to browsing stores on a computer while wearing pajamas, the consumer?s experience with stores and purchasing has definitely shifted.

As much as things have changed, a couple of things have remained consistent, regardless of the shopping environment.

For one, consumers are looking for a deal.

This may be by using a coupon, comparison-shopping between stores or waiting for a sale to finally buy.

Another truism is that shopping is social. Even if done by oneself, shoppers are influenced by what other people are buying.

Whether it is peeking into someone else?s cart as they walk past or asking a salesperson what they have heard about a product, consumers are never far from another opinion.

When Internet shopping appeared on the scene, consumers adapted these behaviors to the technology, leading to an increase in online coupons, review/rating sites, and word-of-mouth recommendations.

It took retailers a little time to figure out the best way to engage consumers in this digital environment but stores and brands have risen to the challenge.

Men were also early-adopters of ecommerce.

Fast forward to today, mobile technology is more than just communication, and plenty of women engage in ecommerce.

Consumers are experimenting and discovering ways the device can make their lives easier and forming new patterns of interacting with their environment, including with shopping.

Retailers are poised to have a chance to take the lessons learned previously and adapt to this next evolution of shopping.

Mobile coupons
A lot of focus has been directed toward mobile couponing as a way to bring people into the store and increase sales.

When we asked consumers if they have made a special trip to the store after receiving a mobile coupon, 10 percent admitted they had.

Looking deeper, the 18-34 year-old age group seems to be slightly more inclined to make special trips, with about 20 percent reporting they have done this in the past.

Ms. Liuzzo said that while she may not be seeing a strong line between mobile coupons and driving special trips just yet, she is encouraged by the younger demographic trend, as those tend to foretell eventual mass-market acceptance.  

Delivering mobile coupons presents a challenge as well.

Consumers can sign-up to receive them, search for coupons themselves or text in while they are in the store.

Many consumers seem to prefer having coupons sent directly to their phone, but there are segments that prefer to search for the coupons on their own or text in as well.

What can retailers take away from this?

Continue to build an opt-in coupon offering but do not ignore other channels of coupon distribution on the mobile phone, according to InsightExpress. 

Who are these people?
Over the last few years, the profile of the consumer that is using mobile has moderated from the über-techie to a look that is more representative of the general population.

However, looking at the people who are using their mobile phone to help them with their shopping experience, an interesting profile appears.

Males, specifically ages 25-34, are the people that are using their phones the most to assist them with shopping, according to InsightExpress.

Ms. Liuzzo does do see a correlation to smartphone ownership as well, which only further cements the finding that these consumers see the mobile phone as a way to remain connected and informed.

The mobile shopper
Males ages 25-34 are using their mobile phones to confirm/justify purchases of products, getting reviews, checking for better prices, looking for coupons and using coupons they have already received.

They also use it for practical things such as looking for a recipe or comparing nutritional information, according to InsightExpress. 

Looking at male mobile shoppers, a few things distinguish them from the general shopper population, including the fact that 53 percent have a smartphone.

Male mobile shoppers overindex in coupon usage in the past month at the following types of stores:

? Electronics store ? 30 percent (general population 10 percent)

? Clothing store ? 33 percent (general pop. 15 percent)

? Department store ? 30 percent (general pop. 15 percent)

? Service location ? 16 percent (general pop. 7 percent)

Men are more inclined to go hunting for coupons.

When asked preference for receiving mobile coupons, 51 percent of men said they would prefer to find coupons themselves via an application, versus 28 percent of the general population.

In addition, 39 percent of men said they want to text in to receive them at the store, versus 27 percent of the general population.

Mobile shopping has arrived
With all of this data, it is clear that not only is mobile a strong part of shopping behavior now but it also provides brands and retailers a relevant and simple way to connect with consumers while they are in the purchasing mindset. 

?Consumers are going to be using their phones more and more during their shopping trips and retailers and merchants need to start defining their strategies for interacting with them,? Ms. Liuzzo said. ?Coupons are an easy answer, but search plays a large part as well when it comes to reviews and product information.?

Where are consumers going to land if they find you in search, a mobile optimized site or a full browser experience?

?How can you make it easier for consumers to find what they are looking for?? Ms. Liuzzo said. ?Aisle locaters, an easy way to save images to show a sales rep, the possibilities can keep snowballing.?

Mobile shopping is poised for impressive growth in the near future, according to InsightExpress. And that includes both men and women.

?We?ve been monitoring mobile shopping behaviors during the busiest time, the holiday shopping season, the past couple of years and the growth year over year within the smartphone audience has been impressive,? Ms. Liuzzo said.

?Now that we?re seeing more apps dedicated to shopping, more retailers optimizing their experience for mobile, and more smartphones in the market, the growth is going to hockey stick shortly,? she said.

Final take
Dan Butcher, Mobile Marketer

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