Mobile users shun salespeople in favour of internet shopping
Mobile users in the UK are by-passing the high street and instead going straight online when shopping around for their next handset.
Over a third (36%) of Brits see independent consumer reviews on the internet as their primary source of information when buying a new phone, but only a fifth (21%) still consult salespeople, signalling that they may yet bear the brunt of the mobile sector’s job cutting drive.
The figures, from TNS’ new study into the global mobile phone market, also reveal that smartphone owners, who now represent over a quarter of the UK’s mobile market (26%), are particularly keen on researching their purchases online and are far more likely to embrace new forms of research than non-smartphone owners. Independent consumer reviews are the most influential and are used by 50% of smartphone owners to determine their next purchase. Blogs and online forums are also four times more likely to be consulted by smartphone owners. As this group of mobile users is by far the most profitable, spending an average of £128 on their handset compared to the £63 non-smartphone owners spend, their migration to the internet spells more trouble for the beleaguered mobile retailers.
From a global perspective, Brits are the most unlikely of any nation in the world to let sales staff influence their mobile phone purchase. Almost half (48%) of people in France and 31% of Americans regularly consult sales staff, and internationally, their popularity doesn’t seem to be waning either, with the global average staying steady at 41%. While consumers in other countries regularly use websites, blogs and online forums, online independent consumer reviews are particularly popular in the UK. In terms of mobile purchases, UK consumers are also the most likely to shun the high street, with only half of all mobile buyers electing to use high street retailers to make a purchase, compared to around 80% in France, Spain and Italy.
Peter Firth, Managing Consultant at TNS Technology, explains: “Mobile users in the UK have always been a tough audience, but this study reveals the true extent of their scepticism. Objectivity is the key element influencing the purchasing decision – even if this comes at the expense of technical expertise, which is usually the remit of the salesperson. We would rather read impartial reviews from people who have actually used the products than speak to salespeople, or even our friends. These findings highlight the widening gap between the high street and the internet, and as the recession pushes retailers such as Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse to breaking point, it is the independent online sources that should be benefiting. If retailers want to survive the downturn, they need to find a way of becoming a trusted source of information once again by reviewing their ‘hard-sell’ policy and aligning more closely with the online forums that offer independent, objective advice in a stress free environment.”
