Google: Mobile Devices Influence Purchases

New findings from Google suggest consumers are using smartphone, tablets and desktop computers throughout the purchase process.

Based on research conducted with Ipsos, Google found that people use smartphones in particular at different points as they move toward a purchase. Nearly half (46%), for instance, said they researched an item on their smartphone before going to a store buy it. And 37% researched an item on their phone before buying it online. Four in 10 people who use their mobile phones to shop said they had made a purchase through the device itself. While people use all three devices- -- phone, tablet and PC- -- to research purchases, some activities are more popular on specific devices. Tablet owners, for instance, read product reviews and looked for product information more from their tablet devices than from their PCs or smartphones (77% compared to 67% and 70%, respectively).